JP2023533690A - Warehouse system for storing and retrieving goods in containers - Google Patents

Abstract

A product order fulfillment system for mixed product units, the system comprising: a storage array; an automated transport system having at least one asynchronous transport system for level transport; and an inter-level transport lift communicatively connected to the storage array for automatically picking and unloading product units on unloading of the storage array. at least one asynchronous transport system and lifts configured to form two or more transport echelons, each echelon communicatively connected with a common portion and an output portion, each corresponding to a transport echelon; An orthogonal sorting of the product units dispensed into the common portion is provided, whereby the sorted corresponding conveying echelon's mixed output product units are in a predetermined sequence.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a nonprovisional application of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/044,721, filed June 26, 2020, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference; claim its benefits.

TECHNICAL FIELD The disclosed embodiments relate generally to material handling systems and, more particularly, to transporting and storing items within material handling systems.

Brief Description of Relevant Developments It is sufficient that the integration of automated storage and retrieval systems into the logistics chain, especially the goods to man system, has significant advantages over the efficiency and cost of the logistics chain. recognized. Conventional systems, even with the integration of highly automated storage and retrieval systems within logistics facilities, generally operate by storing product (e.g., supply) containers, where supply containers are generally contains cases, packs, etc. containing various types of goods (also called products). Product containers may arrive on pallets (e.g., common supply containers) or as truck loads and may be depalletized or unloaded from trucks and stored in distribution facilities for automated storage and retrieval. Distributed by the system throughout the storage volume of the logistics facility (eg, in a three-dimensional array of storage racks).

Where specifically combined product containers are desired (e.g. where any given order container is held by a common container such as direct to consumer fulfillment) , may have different products or product types to be combined, or in the case of joint fulfillment to a consumer via a retail order pickup location or the like, the combination of ordered products in an order container is at least partially order fulfillment from a logistics facility, traditionally, the creation of combined product containers, which are produced at the logistics facility prior to discharge from the logistics facility, are automated storage and retrieval systems Goods-to-Person (GTP: Using a goods to person configuration, an automated storage and retrieval system moves product/supply containers (each of which contains one or more items of a common item type) from storage locations across a three-dimensional array of storage racks to workstations. (i.e., each commodity item within a product container is the same or substantially similar), manually or automatically, depending on a given fulfillment (or filling) order. Goods are picked and removed from the various product/supply containers supplied to a given workstation by a storage and retrieval system, and the various picked goods (combined or included in a given order) (common if filled in that way) into the order container. Such workstations are sometimes referred to as breakpack stations, where a product container can be "disassembled" and its contents can be wholly or partially placed into an order container or breakpack station. It may be placed in what is called a storage container (e.g., a tote bag), e.g., where the product container is not suitable for continuing to hold the remaining items of product after a breakpack operation and its Such remaining product (ie, the remainder of the product in the product container to be "disassembled") should be returned to storage positions in the three-dimensional array of storage racks by the automated storage and retrieval system. To increase efficiency, order containers may be placed in a three-dimensional array of storage racks, possibly in storage positions on storage racks that store product containers, and then, such as when order removal is desired. Both loading and unloading from the three-dimensional array of storage racks are otherwise effected by automated storage and retrieval systems.

Conventionally, breakpack stations are located at a single common level (e.g., ground level, or a level common to or adjacent to the fill load exit of a distribution facility) to effect the unloading of order containers and exit from the breakpack station. or distributed at various levels around or within a three-dimensional array of storage racks to transfer product containers between storage locations and breakpack stations by automated storage and retrieval systems, and Provide loading/reloading of order containers and breakpack storage containers (collectively referred to herein as breakpack merchandise containers) from a breakpack station to a storage location by an automated storage and retrieval system. An example of a conventional system and method of order fulfillment by preparing storage units at a pick station is disclosed in US Pat. No. 9,988,212 issued Jun. 5, 2018. US Pat. No. 9,988,212 describes a method of order fulfillment by making order units and/or product units available from a storage facility in a desired arrangement at a pick station. The storage facility includes a plurality of multi-level storage racks in which order units and/or product units are stored, automated storage and retrieval devices, such as shuttles, for retrieving and storing order units and/or product units, order units and and/or a lift used to transfer product units to at least one storage-exit conveyor, wherein each lift is connected by a storage-entry conveyor and a storage-exit conveyor to a pick station at the pick level. directly connected to Conventional systems, such as those described above, are constrained to a limited exchange interface (substantially defined by the footprint of the breakpack station) between supply containers and breakpack commodity containers. This limits the throughput through the pick station to that performed in the space immediately adjacent to the breakpack operator. An improved system is desired.

The foregoing aspects and other features of the disclosed embodiments are set forth in the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

1 is a schematic illustration of an automated storage and retrieval system in accordance with aspects of the disclosed embodiment; FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of an automated storage and retrieval system in accordance with aspects of the disclosed embodiment; FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of portions of an automated storage and retrieval system in accordance with aspects of the disclosed embodiment; FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of portions of an automated storage and retrieval system in accordance with aspects of the disclosed embodiment; FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of portions of an automated storage and retrieval system in accordance with aspects of the disclosed embodiment; FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of mixed pallet loads formed by an automated storage and retrieval system in accordance with aspects of the disclosed embodiment; FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a portion of an automated storage and retrieval system in accordance with aspects of the disclosed embodiment; FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of portions of an automated storage and retrieval system in accordance with aspects of the disclosed embodiment; FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of portions of an automated storage and retrieval system in accordance with aspects of the disclosed embodiment; FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of portions of an automated storage and retrieval system in accordance with aspects of the disclosed embodiment; FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of portions of an automated storage and retrieval system in accordance with aspects of the disclosed embodiment; FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of portions of an automated storage and retrieval system in accordance with aspects of the disclosed embodiment; FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a portion of an automated storage and retrieval system in accordance with aspects of the disclosed embodiment; FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a portion of an automated storage and retrieval system in accordance with aspects of the disclosed embodiment; FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a transport vehicle in accordance with aspects of the disclosed embodiment; FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a transport vehicle in accordance with aspects of the disclosed embodiment; FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a portion of a transport vehicle in accordance with aspects of the disclosed embodiment; FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a portion of a transport vehicle in accordance with aspects of the disclosed embodiment; FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a portion of a transport vehicle in accordance with aspects of the disclosed embodiment; FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a portion of a transport vehicle in accordance with aspects of the disclosed embodiment; FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a portion of a transport vehicle in accordance with aspects of the disclosed embodiment; FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a portion of a transport vehicle in accordance with aspects of the disclosed embodiment; FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a portion of a transport vehicle in accordance with aspects of the disclosed embodiment; FIG. FIG. 4 is an exemplary flow diagram in accordance with aspects of the disclosed embodiment; FIG. 4 is an exemplary flow diagram in accordance with aspects of the disclosed embodiment; FIG. 4 is an exemplary flow diagram in accordance with aspects of the disclosed embodiment; FIG. 4 is an exemplary flow diagram in accordance with aspects of the disclosed embodiment; 1 is a schematic illustration of a portion of an automated storage and retrieval system in accordance with aspects of the disclosed embodiment; FIG. FIG. 4 is an exemplary flow diagram in accordance with aspects of the disclosed embodiment; 1 is a schematic illustration of an operator station of a storage and retrieval system in accordance with aspects of the disclosed embodiment; FIG. FIG. 4 is an exemplary flow diagram in accordance with aspects of the disclosed embodiment; 1B is a schematic block diagram of orthogonal sortation echelons of the automated storage and retrieval system of FIGS. 1 and 1A in accordance with aspects of the disclosed embodiment; FIG. 16 is an exemplary diagram illustrating an exemplary classification provided by the orthogonal classification echelon of FIG. 15; FIG. 16 is an exemplary diagram illustrating an exemplary classification provided by the orthogonal classification echelon of FIG. 15; FIG. 16 is an exemplary diagram illustrating an exemplary classification provided by the orthogonal classification echelon of FIG. 15; FIG. 16 is an exemplary diagram illustrating an exemplary classification provided by the orthogonal classification echelon of FIG. 15; FIG. 16 is an exemplary diagram illustrating an exemplary classification provided by the orthogonal classification echelon of FIG. 15; FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram representing the structural configuration of an orthogonal sorting echelon of an automated storage and retrieval system and the controller architecture of an automated storage and retrieval system, in accordance with aspects of the disclosed embodiment; FIG. 4 is an exemplary flow diagram in accordance with aspects of the disclosed embodiment;

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an automated storage and retrieval system (also referred to herein as a warehouse system or product order fulfillment system) 100 in accordance with aspects of the disclosed embodiment. Although aspects of the disclosed embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings, it should be understood that the aspects of the disclosed embodiment may be embodied in many forms. In addition, any suitable size, shape or type of elements or materials could be used.

According to aspects of the disclosed embodiment, the automated storage and retrieval system 100 may operate in a retail distribution center, warehouse, or retail store back yard. Automated storage and retrieval systems, such as those described in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 13/326,674, filed December 15, 2011, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, It may operate to fill orders received from retailers for case units. For example, a case unit is a case or unit of merchandise that is not stored (eg, not contained) in a tray, on a tote or on a pallet. In other examples, the case units may be placed on trays, totes, containers (such as containers of leftover goods after breakpacking where the disassembled case unit construction as a unit is not suitable for carrying the leftover goods), on pallets, etc., in any suitable manner. is a case or unit of goods contained in any way. In yet another example, a case unit is a combination of uncontained and contained items. A case unit includes, for example, a cased unit of merchandise adapted to be removed from or placed on a pallet (e.g., a case of soup cans, a box of cereal, etc.) or individual merchandise. It is noted that According to aspects of the disclosed embodiment, a shipping case (e.g., carton, barrel, box, crate, jug, or any other suitable device for holding the case unit) for the case unit is a variable size, may be used to hold the case unit during transport, may be configured so that it may be palletized for transport, or may be configured for downstream logistics without palletisation. It can be sent to a process (eg, goods-to-person automation, etc.). In one or more aspects, a case unit is a segmented case unit (eg, a segmented tote, etc.) that includes multiple order profiles in one case unit. Here, any segmented case unit can increase product density within the case unit and downstream logistics (eg, downstream packaging solutions such as goods-to-person automation). For example, when a stack of case units or a pallet arrives at a storage and retrieval system, the contents of each pallet may be uniform (e.g., each pallet holds a predetermined number of the same items, i.e., one A pallet holds soup and another holds cereal), and once the pallet exits the storage and retrieval system, the pallet may contain any suitable number and combination of various case units (e.g. , each mixing pallet holding a different type of case unit (i.e. the pallet holds a combination of soups and cereals), these to the palletizer in an arrangement that is sorted, for example, to form a mixing pallet. provided. In aspects of the disclosed embodiment, the storage and retrieval system 100 described herein may be applied to any environment in which units are stored and retrieved.

1, 15, and 17A, in accordance with aspects of the disclosed embodiment, automated storage and retrieval system 100 stores merchandise (e.g., pallets, cases, containers, packages of merchandise, individual (unpacked) 15000, 15100, 15200 (also referred to herein as Classification Echelons) that identify classes of commodities (referred to herein as units or eachs). Item classification identification provides or otherwise creates separate and distinct item classifications from delivery of goods through automated storage and retrieval system 100 (e.g., provides additional identification of item classifications) .
Orthogonal Classification Echelon 15000, 15100, 15200 can be classified by decomposing merchandise components (e.g., pallets, cases, packs, units) into the smallest necessary merchandise components and classifying the smallest necessary merchandise components individually. provide a recursive classification of the goods, and then reassemble the minimum required goods component(s) into larger groups (e.g., reassemble into one or more of pallets, cases, packs). assemble). Each of these reassembled larger groups is sorted by reassembly iteration. As an example, referring to FIG. 17A, if the minimum required commodity component is a unit (also referred to herein as an individual), the incoming pallet is broken into cases, the cases containing the units are broken into packs, Packs are broken down into units. The desired number of units are sorted at the unit level and reassembled into sorted packs. A desired number of sorted packs are sorted at the pack level and reassembled into sorted cases. A desired number of sorted cases are sorted at the case level and assembled into a sorted pallet load PAL. Here the sorting is drilled down to the desired sorting level and the items to be sorted are reassembled and sorted in a recursive manner resulting in the construction of a pallet load PAL.

According to aspects of the disclosed embodiment, ordering items to be filled (e.g., pallets, cases, containers, packages of goods, individual (unpacked) goods, etc.) is stochastic (e.g., order The items ordered and the time at which the order is received may be substantially random) and the time (e.g., the sorting or ordering of the items ordered at a predetermined scheduled time prior to the time the order is dispatched/fulfilled). just-in-time sorting of goods) may be fulfilled by the automated storage and retrieval system 100 . These probabilistic orders determine the pick order of items to be sorted, such as for building a pallet load or pallet PAL, as described herein with respect to FIG. See U.S. Patent No. 8,965,559, issued Feb. 24, 2015, entitled "Pallet Building System," which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety). Although the pallet of FIG. 1E is illustrated and described as a mixed case pallet, such illustrations also represent pallet loads having mixed cases, mixed totes, mixed packs, mixed units per tote (or pieces), etc. . Here, the items to be sorted are picked from a common storage array (eg, the storage array formed by storage spaces 130S of storage structure 130). The automated storage and retrieval system 100 utilizes or otherwise processes the order to the required classification level via one or more of the orthogonal classification echelons 15000, 15100, 15200 to By bringing a given order from a common storage array, independent of type (e.g. pallet order, case order, pack order, mixed order, etc.), order sequence, and order time (e.g. automated storage and retrieval) resulting in a maximum throughput of goods for each order (e.g., controller 120 drills/drives down the orthogonal classification echelon to give a given order, i.e., case-level classification , packed level classification, unit/individual level classification or combinations thereof).

The Orthogonal Classification Echelon 15000, 15100, 15200 identifies the classification of goods at various levels of classification from the delivery of goods to provide maximum throughput of goods through the automated storage and retrieval system 100. is controlled by the controller 120 to provide maximum flexibility of order fulfillment. Accordingly, the orthogonal sorting echelon 15000, 15100, 15200 results in minimized filling costs for each order processed through the automated storage and retrieval system 100. FIG.

According to aspects of the disclosed embodiment, automated storage and retrieval system 100 includes one or more breakpack modules 266 (see FIG. 2C). The breakpack module 266 may form one or more of the orthogonal classification echelons 15100, 15200 as described herein. The breakpack module 266 is configured to disassemble product containers or case units CU into breakpack merchandise containers for order fulfillment, as further described herein. The breakpack module 266 may operate as an automated decanting process for downstream logistics such as goods-to-person automation. One or more breakpack modules 266 may be located at a common level 130L of the automated storage and retrieval system, where one or more levels of the automated storage and retrieval system 100 are connected to at least one Includes breakpack module 266 . Breakpack module(s) 266 may be plug-and-play modules that may be coupled to any suitable portion of the structure of automated storage and retrieval system 100 . For example, the breakpack module(s) may be connected to the container transfer deck 130DC or picking (or picking)(s) of the automated storage and retrieval system 100, as described in more detail below. It may be connected to passageway 130A. Breakpack module(s) 266 may be disposed in any suitable number of stacked storage levels of automated storage and retrieval system 100 . Here, automated storage and retrieval system 100 may be configured via any suitable controller (eg, control server 120) or the like to have selectable modes of operation. In one mode of operation, automated storage and retrieval system 100 is configured to deliver product cases, containers, and/or case units to a palletizer. In another mode of operation, such as when the breakpack module(s) 266 are utilized, the automated storage and retrieval system 100 disassembles product cases, product containers, and/or case units to break pack merchandise. Unloading containers, product cases, containers and/or case units to a palletizer or, in other aspects, breakpack (order) container(s) and/or product cases, containers and/or cases The remainder of the unit is configured to be reloaded into the palletizer (eg, after being dismantled) and stored for later retrieval.

As can be appreciated, the controller 120 controls the container bot 110 and merchandise bot 262 (both forming at least part of an asynchronous transport system) for assembling orders of breakpack merchandise BPG from supply containers 265 into breakpack merchandise containers 264 . ) (see also, eg, FIG. 2C), and the unloading of the breakpack merchandise container 264 via the container unloading station TS as described herein. For example, controller 120 directs movement of container bot(s) 110 between container storage location 130S, breakpack handling station 140, and breakpack commodity containers 264 positioned along breakpack commodity transfer deck 130DG. configured to bring about As another example, controller 120 may transfer breakpack commodity BPGs by commodity bot 262 across commodity transfer deck 130DG to breakpack commodity BPGs into corresponding breakpack commodity containers 264, e.g., at unit/individual level classification. It is configured to effect the action of the product bot(s) 262 to classify the BPG. As a further example, the controller 120 may indicate that the container bot(s) 110 access corresponding breakpack commodity containers 264 on the commodity transfer deck 130DG and traverse the breakpack commodity containers 264 along the container transfer deck 130DC. to at least one of container unloading/transfer station TS and corresponding container storage locations 130SB of storage shelves of corresponding levels 130L of the multi-level storage array. It is configured to provide 110 operations.

The controller 120 also directs the container bot(s) 110 to transport empty breakpack commodity containers 264 along the transport loops 233, 233A of the container transfer deck(s) 130DC. Empty Breakpack Merchandise Container 264 to automated storage and retrieval system and to Breakpack Merchandise Interface(s) 263 for transfer of Breakpack Merchandise BPG to Breakpack Merchandise Container 264. Effecting movement of container bot(s) 110 and lift 150 (e.g., forming a container supply system) to introduce breakpack module 266 for placement at breakpack commodity interface location 263L or more. ) is configured as In other aspects, the empty breakpack container 264 is transferred (in a manner similar to that described above with respect to lifts and container bots) to the storage spaces 130SB, 130S of the rack module RM and stored therein or stored therein. It may be buffered at a feed station, where controller 120 effects the transfer of empty breakpack merchandise containers 264 from storage spaces 130SB, 130S or buffer locations to breakpack merchandise interface 263 in a manner similar to that described above. is configured as In one or more aspects, the controller 120 directs the breakpacks along the transport loops 233, 233A of the container transfer deck(s) 130DC, to the breakpack operating stations 140, or directly or indirectly. such that the container bot(s) 110 transport empty supply containers 265 (as described herein) or normalized containers 265S to a downstream logistics process, such as a goods-to-person process. Additionally, the container bot 110 and the lift 150 are configured to effect operation (e.g., form a container supply system) to introduce empty supply containers 265 or normalized containers 265S into the automated storage and retrieval system. ing.

Referring also to FIG. 1E, for example, an incoming bundle or pallet (eg, from a case unit manufacturer or supplier) arrives at the storage and retrieval system for replenishment of the automated storage and retrieval system 100. The contents of each pallet may be uniform (e.g., each pallet holds a predetermined number of the same items, i.e., one pallet holds soup and another cereal). It is noted that As can be appreciated, such pallet load cases may be substantially similar or, in other words, homogeneous cases (e.g., similar dimensions) and may have the same SKU (or Otherwise, the pallet can be a "rainbow" pallet with layers formed in a homogeneous case, as previously mentioned). Once the pallet PAL exits the storage and retrieval system 100, with the cases filled with replenishment orders, the pallet PAL may contain any suitable number and combination of different case units CU (e.g., each pallet may contain different types of case units: pallets hold a combination of canned soups, cereals, beverage packs, cosmetics, and household cleaners). Cases combined on a single pallet may have different sizes and/or different SKUs. In one aspect of the disclosed embodiment, the storage and retrieval system 100 generally includes an infeed section, a storage and sorting section (where, in one aspect, storage of articles is optional), and an export section. As can be appreciated, in one aspect of the disclosed embodiment, the system 100, operating, for example, as a retail distribution center, receives a uniform pallet load of cases and disassembles palletized goods or removes cases from the uniform pallet load into the system. separates into independent case units that are individually processed by each order, picks up the various cases required by each order, sorts them into corresponding groups, and transports the corresponding groups of cases, called a mixed case pallet load MPL. It can play a role in assembling things. As can also be appreciated, in one aspect of the disclosed embodiment, the system 100, operating, for example, as a retail distribution center, receives uniform pallet loads of cases, disassembles palletized goods, or removes cases from the uniform pallet loads. Separating into independent case units that are individually processed by the system, the various cases required by each order are taken and sorted into corresponding groups, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, January 2018. No. 9,856,083, issued Oct. 2 and having U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/997,920. can be fulfilled.

The storage and sorting section is an automated transport that receives individual cases in sequence and supplies them to a multi-level storage array for storage in storage areas (such as storage space 130S of storage structure 130), as described in more detail below. Including a multi-level automated storage system with a system. The storage and sorting section also allows the desired case units to be individually retrieved in response to commands generated in response to orders being loaded into a warehouse management system, such as warehouse management system 2500, for delivery to the output section. Define outbound transport of case units from multi-level storage arrays so that In other aspects, the storage and classification section receives individual cases and classifies individual cases (e.g., utilizing the buffer stations and interface stations described herein), e.g., with case-level classification. , transports individual cases to the outbound section according to the orders into the warehouse management system. Classification and grouping of cases according to orders (e.g., order-out sequencing) may be performed in whole or in part by either the storage and retrieval section or the export section, or both, the boundaries between It is one of a kind simplicity, and that sorting and grouping can be done in any number of ways. The intended result is that the export section may, for example, , 965,559) to assemble appropriate groups of ordered cases, which may vary in SKU, size, etc., into a mixed case pallet load.

In the disclosed embodiment, the output section produces pallet loads in what may be referred to as a mixed case stack structured architecture. The structured architecture of the pallet load described herein is representative, and in other aspects the pallet load may have any other suitable configuration. For example, the structured architecture may be any suitable predetermined configuration, such as a cargo container envelope that holds truck bay cargo or other suitable containers or structural loads. The structured architecture of the pallet load consists of several flat case layers L121-L125, as described in US Pat. No. 9,856,083, previously incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. It can be characterized as having L12T.

In accordance with aspects of the disclosed embodiment and referring now also to FIG. 1, an automated storage and retrieval system 100 includes a storage array (e.g., It includes a storage structure 130) having a storage space 130S. Although the storage array is described as a three-dimensional storage array, in other aspects the storage array may be a two-dimensional storage array (eg, a single level floor), the back of a truck, or any other suitable storage array. It may be an array, where the case units are placed directly by the storage and retrieval system 100 (such as by the container bot 110) or indirectly (e.g., by a fork truck or other vehicle/operator pre-determined case units). (by placing them on the conveyor in the order of grouped inventory keeping units or other categorical sequencing)) to the breakpack module 266 . If the storage array is single level (ie, single level floor), the breakpack module 266 is positioned at the floor level of the storage array. Mixed product units (eg, pack PCKs and units/individual UNTs (see FIGS. 16A-16E) are loaded and distributed (loaded into system 100) into storage arrays in case CUs of common types of product units per case CU. Each case held holds a common type of stock keeping unit (SKU).For example, the automated storage and retrieval system 100 moves (eg, an incoming supply container) to the storage level 130L of the storage structure 130. an input station 160IN (including depalletizer 160PA and/or conveyor 160CA) for conveying to lift module 150A for loading.

As described herein, the automated storage and retrieval system 100 includes at least one asynchronous transport system for transporting cases/products at a given storage structure level 130L (e.g., level transport). Including automated transport systems (eg, bots, breakpack modules, and other suitable level transports described herein). As described herein, the storage and retrieval system 100 is a non-deterministic system that moves along one or more physical paths of the storage and retrieval system to provide at least one level of asynchrony. container bot 110 . For example, at least another level of asynchrony is provided (as described herein) such that the number of locations holding cases/products is greater than the number of bots carrying cases/products. At least one lift 150 is provided for transporting cases/products between storage levels (e.g., between level transports), or the cases/products may be transported (e.g. Cases/products may be pre-sorted at a given level before the container bot 110 retrieves the cases/products (so as not to transfer the cases/products between levels for the sake of convenience). At least one lift 150B dispenses product units from the storage array to cases at a common portion of at least one elevated storage level 130L of the storage array (e.g., storage position 130S of each storage level 130L). Communicatively connected to a storage array as described herein for automatic retrieval and export. Outgoing product units are one or more of the product units that are mixed and singulated in mixed packed groups and in mixed cases as described herein (see FIGS. 16A-16E). reference). By way of example, the automated storage and retrieval system 100 may include items (e.g., outbound cargo) from lift module 150B for removal from storage (e.g., to a palletizer (for palletizer loads) or a truck (for truckloads)). output stations 160UT, 160EC (including palletizer 160PB, operator station 160EP and/or conveyor 160CB) for conveying supply containers and filled breakpack merchandise (order) containers). Here, the output station 160EC is an individual fulfillment (or e-commerce) output station, where, for example, filled breakpack items (orders) containing single item items and/or small bundle items. Containers are shipped to fulfill individual fulfillment orders (such as orders placed by consumers over the Internet). Unload station 160UT is generally a commercial unload station where a number of items are provided on pallets for fulfilling orders from commercial entities (eg, commercial stores, warehouse clubs, restaurants, etc.). As can be appreciated, automated storage and retrieval system 100 includes both commercial unloading station 160UT and individual fulfillment unloading station 160EC, while in other aspects one of commercial unloading station 160UT and individual fulfilling unloading station 160EC. or including plural.

Automated storage and retrieval system 100 also includes an input vertical lift module 150A and an output vertical lift module 150B (generally referred to as lift modules 150). (note that a single lift module may be used for loading and unloading), (may have at least one elevated storage level as described above, and in some embodiments a multi-level storage array); ), and may be constrained to their respective storage levels, and are separate from the transfer deck 130DC they travel on (referred to herein as "container bots" and for level transport). at least one autonomous container transport vehicle 110 (for at least part of the asynchronous transport system). Lift module 150 includes any suitable transport means configured to vertically raise and lower case units, including reciprocating elevator-type lifts, forklift trucks, and the like. It is noted that depalletizer 160PA may be configured to remove case units from pallets so that loading station 160IN may transport items to lift module 150 for loading into storage structure . Palletizer 160PB may be configured to place items removed from storage structure 130 onto pallets PAL (FIG. 1E) for transport. As used herein, lift module 150, storage structure 130, and container bot 110 are collectively referred to herein as U.S. Pat. No. 9, previously incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. "On-the-fly" sorting (e.g., during transport of case units) where each throughput axis is essential so that case unit sorting and throughput occur nearly simultaneously without a dedicated sorter as described in US Pat. No. 856,083. The transport/throughput axis (e.g., in three dimensions) (e.g., container bot 110 reference frame REF (FIG. 4A) or any other suitable may be referred to as the multi-level automated storage system (storage and sorting section) described above to define (relative to the frame of reference of the storage and retrieval system).

As an example of case unit or breakpack container throughput in relation to sorting, referring also to FIG. 1A, the storage and retrieval system 100 includes several areas or regions of throughput. For example, multi-level case unit storage throughput 130 LTP (e.g. placement of case units into storage), horizontal case unit transport throughput 110 TP (e.g. storage along picking aisles, transfer decks, and breakpack commodity interfaces). transfer of case unit(s) from/to), breakpack station throughput 266 TP (e.g. supply case dismantling at breakpack operating station), horizontal goods transport throughput 262 TP (e.g. breakpack operating station Breakpack Merchandise Transfer from Breakpack Merchandise Interface to Breakpack Merchandise Interface), Case Buffer Throughput BTSTP (e.g. Case Unit Buffer to Facilitate Case Unit Transfer between Storage/Breakpack and Vertical Transport), There is a throughput 150TP for vertical transport (eg transfer of case units by vertical lift) and a throughput at output station 160TP including transport by eg conveyor 160CB and palletizing by palletizer 160PB. In one aspect, the classification of the case unit is based on each throughput axis (e.g., X, Y, Z axes relative to the frame of reference of container bot 110 and/or lift 150) as described herein. 130LTP, 110TP, 266TP, 262TP, BTSTP, 150TP along each axis, and the classification along each axis is one or more of X, Y, It is independently selectable to lie along the Z axis.

1, 1F, 2A, and 2C, storage structures 130 are disposed at respective levels of storage structures 130 (e.g., formed on and along container transfer deck 130DC) (1 (one or more) container autonomous transport transfer loops 233, 233A. A lift 150 passes through transfer station TS (also referred to herein as a container loading station when lift 150 is an incoming lift 150A or a container unloading station when lift 150 is an outgoing lift 150B) to container transfer deck 130DC. Connected, each lift transports one or both supply containers 265 (empty or filled) (see FIG. 2C) and breakpack commodity containers 264 (empty or filled) (see FIG. 2C) to the storage structure 130. is configured to lift to and from at least one elevated storage level 130L. Container storage locations (or spaces) 130S are circumferentially arrayed along container transfer deck 130DC. For example, a plurality of storage rack modules RM, organized into a high density three-dimensional rack array RMA, are accessible by storage level or deck level 130L. As used herein, the term "dense three-dimensional rack array" refers to a three-dimensional rack array RMA having non-deterministic open shelves distributed along the picking aisle 130A, where: In some aspects, multiple stacked shelves are provided with a common picking aisle, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 9,856,083, previously incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. accessible from the moving surface or picking aisle level.

Each storage level 130L includes pickface storage/handoff spaces 130S (referred to herein as storage spaces 130S or container storage positions 130S) circumferentially arranged along container transfer deck 130DC. At least one of the storage locations 130S is a supply container storage location 130SS and another one of the container storage locations is a breakpack merchandise (or order) container storage location 130SB. The storage space 130S, in one aspect, is formed by rack modules RM, where the rack modules extend linearly, for example, through a rack module array RMA, and the container bot 110 to the storage space 130S and transfer deck 130B. storage or shelves disposed along the picking aisle 130A (connected to the container transfer deck 130DC) providing access to the container. In one aspect, the shelves of the rack module RM are arranged as multi-level shelves distributed along the picking aisle 130A. As can be appreciated, the container bot 110 may be used to transfer case units between any of the storage spaces 130S of the storage structure 130 and any of the lift modules 150 (eg, at the level at which the container bot 110 is positioned). Move each storage level 130L along picking aisle 130A and container transfer deck 130DC (e.g., each container bot 110 moves each storage space 130S at each level and each lift module 150 at each storage level 130L). have access to). The transfer deck 130B is a single container transfer deck, for example, as described in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 13/326,674, filed December 15, 2011, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The decks 130DC can be stacked on top of each other or horizontally offset, such as having the decks 130DC at one end or side RMAE1 of the storage rack array RMA, or at several ends or sides RMAE1, RMAE2 of the storage rack array RMA. Located at various levels (corresponding to each level 130L of the storage and retrieval system).

Container transfer deck 130DC is substantially open to allow containers along multiple lanes of travel across and along transfer deck 130B (e.g., along the X throughput axis with respect to the bot's frame of reference REF illustrated in FIG. 4A). Configured for non-deterministic traversal of bots 110 . U.S. Patent No. 15/671,591, issued Feb. 11, 2020 and having U.S. Patent Application No. 15/671,591, as described in more detail below (and the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference); No. 10,556,743), multiple lanes of travel allow container bot 110 to Provide multiple access paths or routes to each storage location 130S (e.g., pick faces, case units, containers, or other items stored in the storage shelves of the rack module RM) so that each storage location can be reached. can be configured to As can be appreciated, the transfer deck(s) 130B at each storage level 130L communicates with each of the picking aisles 130A at the respective storage level 130L. The container bot 110 moves along the picking path (e.g., along the X throughput axis with respect to the bot's frame of reference REF illustrated in FIG. 4) (one or more ) bi-directionally traverse between the container transfer deck 130DC and the picking aisles 130A to access storage spaces 130S disposed in rack shelving along each of the picking aisles 130A (e.g., the container bot 110 may traverse each picking aisle 130A). Different planes when traversing passageway 130A, for example, referring to FIG. Storage spaces 130 S can be accessed that are distributed on both sides of each aisle As can be seen, the throughput of outbound shipments from storage arrays in a horizontal plane corresponding to a given storage or deck level 130 L is the throughput of X and Y The combined or integrated throughput along both axes results in, and is evident in. As mentioned above, the container transfer deck(s) 130DC are also provided at respective storage levels 130L. , where the lifts 150 move the case units (e.g., along the Z throughput axis) to each storage level 130L and/or to each storage level 130L. , container bot 110 effects the transfer of case units between lift 150 and storage space 130S.

As mentioned above, and referring also to FIG. 2A, in one aspect, the storage structure 130 includes a plurality of storage rack modules RM made up of a three-dimensional array RMA with the racks arranged in an aisle 130A, the aisle 130A being: Configured for movement of container bot 110 within passageway 130A. The container transfer deck 130DC has a non-deterministic transport surface on which the container bot 110 travels, wherein the non-deterministic transport surface (also referred to herein as the deck surface) 130BS is formed by the container transfer deck 130DC. Multiple travel lanes (e.g., two or more juxtaposed travel lanes (e.g., fast bot travel path HSTP )), where a plurality of travel lanes connect aisles 130A. The container autonomous transport movement loop 233A provides the container bot 110 with random access to any and each picking aisle 130A at each level 130L of the storage structure 130 and random access to any and each lift 150A, 150B. do. At least one of the plurality of travel lanes has a direction of travel opposite to the travel lane direction of another one of the plurality of travel lanes (to form container autonomous transport travel loop 233).

As can be appreciated, any suitable controller of storage and retrieval system 100, such as, for example, control server 120, controls the passageway provided access to one or more case units (and/or breakpack containers). It may be configured to create any suitable number of alternate paths for retrieving these case units from their respective storage locations 130S when restricted or otherwise blocked. For example, control server 120 may be routed by containers 110, lifts 150A, 150B, and loading/unloading stations 160IN, 160UT, 160EC to plan a primary or preferred route for container bot 110 to a given item within a storage structure. Appropriate programming, memory, and other structures for analyzing the information obtained may be included. The preferred route may be the fastest and/or most direct route that the containerbot 110 can take to retrieve the case unit/pickface. In other aspects, the preferred route may be any suitable route. Control server 120 may also analyze information sent by container bot 110, lifts 150A, 150B, and loading/unloading stations 160IN, 160UT, 160EC to determine if there are obstacles along the preferred route. can be configured to If there are obstacles along the priority route, the control server 120 retrieves the case units so that the obstructions are avoided and the case units can be retrieved without significant delay, e.g., in fulfilling an order. may determine one or more secondary or alternative routes for It should be appreciated that container bot path planning may also be performed in container bot 110 itself by any suitable control system, such as, for example, a controller (system) 110C onboard container bot 110 . As an example, the bot control system may include other container bots 110, lifts 150A, 150B, and loading/unloading stations 160IN for determining preferred and/or alternate routes for accessing items in a manner substantially similar to that described above; 160UT, may be configured to communicate with control server 120 to access information from 160EC. It is noted that controller 110C of container bot 110 may include any suitable programming, memory, and/or other structure to effect the determination of preferred and/or alternate routes.

Referring to FIG. 2A, as a non-limiting example, in an order fulfillment process, a container bot 110A traversing container transfer deck 130DC may be instructed to retrieve an item 499 from picking aisle 131. Referring to FIG. However, there may be a blocked path 131 for bot 110B that is disabled so that bot 110A cannot take the preferred (eg, most direct and/or fastest) route to case unit 499. FIG. In this example, the control server 120 provides container bot 110A with restrictions such that container bot 110A can move, for example, along another container transfer deck 130DC2 substantially similar to container transfer deck 130DC. Alternate routes may be traversed, such as through unobstructed picking aisles (eg, aisles without container bots or otherwise unobstructed). Container bot 110A can enter the end of picking 131 from another container transfer deck 130DC2, opposite the obstruction, to avoid disabling container bot 110B to access item 499. In another aspect, the storage and retrieval system 100 substantially widens the picking aisles 130 to allow the container bot 110 to move between the picking aisles 130 instead of traversing the container transfer decks 130DC, 130DC2. may include one or more bypass passages 132 running across the . The bypass passage 132 may be generally similar to the travel lanes of the container transfer decks 130DC, 130DC2, as described herein, allowing bidirectional or unidirectional movement of container bots through the bypass passage 132. obtain. The bypass passage 132 may provide one or more lanes of containerbot movement, where each lane is a floor and a method similar to that described herein with respect to the transfer decks 130DC, 130DC2. and suitable guides for guiding the bot along the bypass passage 132. In other aspects, bypass passages 132 may have any suitable configuration for allowing container bots 110 to traverse between picking passages 130 . Although the bypass passage 132 is shown for a storage and retrieval system having transfer decks 130DC, 130DC2 disposed at opposite ends of the storage structure, in other aspects a storage and retrieval system having only one transfer deck. It is noted that the system 100 of may also include one or more bypass passages 132 .

In other aspects, the breakpack module 266AL may be positioned on the side of the container transfer deck 130DC where the picking aisles 130 are positioned, one or more of the picking aisles 130 being connected to the container bot(s). It extends into the breakpack module 266AL to form a riding surface 266RS. Here, container bot 110A is for delivering supply containers 265 to breakpack module 266AL, and picking path 133 extending into the breakpack module is blocked by container bot 110D. In this aspect, the control server 120 and/or the container bot controller 110C controls the movement of the container bot 110A (along the other container transfer deck 130DC2 and/or the bypass passage 132) in a manner substantially similar to that described above with respect to the item 499. do) determine secondary or bypass routes to access breakpack stations;

The storage and retrieval systems shown and described herein have exemplary configurations only, and in other aspects any suitable configuration for storing and retrieving items described herein. and components. For example, in other aspects the storage and retrieval system may include any suitable number of storage sections, any suitable number of transfer decks, any suitable number of breakpack modules, and corresponding loading/unloading stations. can have

As can be seen, the juxtaposed travel lanes are juxtaposed along a common non-deterministic conveying plane 130BS between opposite sides 130BD1, 130BD2 of container transfer deck 130DC. As illustrated in FIG. 2A, in one aspect, the passageway 130A joins the container transfer deck 130DC on one side 130BD2 of the container transfer deck 130DC; Two or more of the container transfer decks 130DC in a manner substantially similar to that described in U.S. Patent Application No. 13/326,674, filed Dec. 15, 2011, which is incorporated herein by reference. are joined to the side surfaces 130BD1 and 130BD2 of the . As will be described in more detail below, the other side 130BD1 of the container transfer deck 130DC is such that at least one portion of the transfer deck includes deck storage racks (eg, buffer stations BS or transfer stations TS, etc.) and aisles. 130A, distributed along the other side 130BD1 of container transfer deck 130DC (eg, interface station (also called transfer station) TS and buffer station BS). Deck storage racks are positioned along the other side 130BD1 of container transfer deck 130DC in communication with container bots 110 and lift modules 150 from container transfer deck 130DC (e.g., the deck storage racks are Accessed by container bot 110 from deck 130DC so that pick faces are transferred between container bot 110 and deck storage racks and between deck storage racks and lift 150, and thus between container bot 110 and lift 150. , accessed by lift 150 for picking and placing pickfaces).

Referring now also to FIG. 1, each storage level 130L also includes, for example, U.S. patent application Ser. and 13/326,823, filed December 15, 2011 (now U.S. Patent No. 9,082,112), mounting a container bot 110 at its storage level 130L. A charging station 130C for charging the power supply may also be included.

1, 2A, and 2C, automated storage and retrieval system 100 includes one or more breakpack modules 266, as described above. In one aspect, each breakpack module 266 has a container bot riding surface 266RS forming a portion 130DCP of container transfer deck 130DC, where the riding surface 2666RS is substantially similar to a portion of container transfer deck 130DC. However, in other aspects, the container bot riding surface 266RS can be substantially similar to a portion of the picking aisle 130A. For ease of explanation, aspects of the disclosed embodiment refer to container bot riding surface 266RS in breakpack module 266 as part of container transfer deck 130DC. Container transfer deck 130D is illustrated in FIG. It is noted that, in aspects, the transport loop of breakpack module 266 may be a multi-lane transport loop substantially similar to the container transport deck illustrated in FIG. 2A. For example, referring to FIG. 2E, container bot travel surface 266RS is an open, non-deterministic travel surface having multiple mobile entry and mobile entry lanes. For example, there are multiple incoming travel lanes TL1, TL2 where travel lane TL2 is a bypass lane for traveling around obstacles on travel lane TL1 (or vice versa). There may also be multiple outbound travel lanes TL3, TL4, TL5. Here, travel lane TL5 defines queue lane 130QL (FIG. 2C) for container bot 110 at breakpack merchandise interface 263, while travel lanes TL4 and TL5 are used for exit from breakpack module 266. Alternatively, travel lane TL5 is a bypass for traveling around obstacles on travel lane TL4 (or vice versa). In other aspects, the case units may be transferred indirectly between the storage array and the breakpack module 266, such as by conveyors and/or fork trucks. In one or more aspects, the container bot 110 or fork truck may transport the case units to a breakpack station and deliver the case units to a conveyor that transports the case units from the breakpack station to a storage array or downstream logistics process.

Each of the breakpack modules 266 is connected to a breakpack merchandise autonomous transport-movement loop 234 (see exemplary breakpack merchandise autonomous transport-movement loops 234A-234E formed on and along merchandise deck or merchandise transfer deck 130DG). ), at least one breakpack handling station 140, and a breakpack commodity interface 263 disposed between and interfacing the commodity transfer deck 130DG and the container transfer deck 130DC. 1 and 2A, the breakpack commodity module 266 provides a break pack between the commodity bot 262 (operating on the commodity deck 130DG) and the container bot 110 (operating on the container delivery deck 130DC). One or more belt classifiers BST (cross belt classifiers) configured as interface(s) between the pack operations station 140 and/or between the breakpack operations station 140 and the merchandise bot 262 etc.). For illustrative purposes only, merchandise deck 130DG is illustrated as having three lanes of travel forming (variable length) travel loops 234A-234E, but in other aspects the merchandise deck may include any suitable It may have any suitable number of travel lanes forming a number of breakpack merchandise autonomous transport travel loops 234 . Each breakpack module 266 may be non-deterministically coupled to (eg, form part of) automated storage and retrieval system 100 in any suitable manner (eg, breakpack module 266 may or multiple ends 130BE1, 130BE2, etc., may be coupled to automated storage and retrieval system 100 at any suitable location thereof, or instead of picking aisle 130 (and storage location), etc., or any other can be positioned centrally between the two ends 130BE1, 130BE2 at an appropriate location). Although the breakpack module 266 is non-deterministically coupled to the structure of the automated storage and retrieval system 100, each component of the breakpack module 166 is independent of the components of the automated storage and retrieval system (e.g., unit and/or independently automated in guiding and moving a bot (e.g., merchandise bot 262), thereby configuring components of breakpack module 266 and automated storage and retrieval system 100 Interfaces between elements are non-deterministic.

Breakpack module(s) 266 may be coupled to the structure of automated storage and retrieval system 100 at any suitable location and at any suitable level(s) 130L. For example, as described above, the breakpack module 266 may be installed (such as in place of the storage rack module RM/picking aisle 130A or lifts 150A, 150B, or as an extension of one or more picking aisles 130A) of the container transfer deck 130DC. It may be located at one or more ends 130BE1, 130BE2 or at one or more sides 130BD1, 130BD2 of container transfer deck 130DC. Each of the breakpack modules 266 is plug-and-integrated with (or otherwise connected to) the container transfer deck 130DC such that the container transfer deck 130DC is communicatively coupled to the container bot loading surface 266RS. Play module. In one aspect, the container transfer deck 130DC is positioned within the breakpack module such that the container bot 110 moves across, in and out of the breakpack module 266 along the non-deterministic container transfer deck 130DC. Extending to form container bot resting surface 266RS (eg, breakpack modules form a modular portion of container transfer deck 130DC), at least one of the plurality of travel lanes of container transfer deck 130DC includes a breakpack. Define queue lane 130QL (FIG. 2C) for container bot 110 in merchandise interface 263 . In another aspect, the container bot riding surface 266RS includes rails 1200S (see FIG. 1D) extending from the container transfer deck 130DC in a manner similar to that of the picking aisle 130A, whereby the container bot 110 rides on the rails. Traveling across or in and out of breakpack modules 266 along 1200S, rail 1200S defines queue lanes 130QL (FIG. 2C) for container bots 110 at breakpack merchandise interface 263. FIG. When the container bot ride-on surface 266RS is formed by rails 1200S, the ride-on surface allows the container bot 110 to turn to various portions of the breakpack merchandise autonomous transport movement loop 234 (e.g., inbound and outbound). It is noted that it may include a non-deterministic turning area 1200UTA (similar to the open non-deterministic container transfer deck 130DC) transitioning between. As seen in FIG. 2C, container bot movement plane 266RS of breakpack module 266 forms a movement loop 233 around which container bot 110 moves along movement loop 233 of container bot movement plane 266RS to: supply containers (e.g., case units, pick faces, leftover containers, etc.) between storage locations 130S and breakpack operating stations 140 (and/or vice versa) and breakpack merchandise containers (also referred to as breakpack containers) 264; between the Breakpack merchandise interface 263 and the Breakpack merchandise container storage location 130SB or the lift 150A (and/or vice versa), respectively. Movement loop 233 provides container bot 110 with random access to any and each breakpack merchandise interface location 263L of breakpack merchandise interface 263 along bot movement plane 266RS, where breakpack merchandise interface location 263L is , forming an asynchronous product distribution system.

Merchandise transfer deck 130DG forms a merchandise autonomous transport movement loop 234 disposed on storage level 130L. The goods transfer deck 130DG is separate and distinct from the transfer loop 233 formed by the container bot transfer surface 266RS, the container autonomous transfer transfer loop 233 of the container transfer deck 130DC and the breakpack goods autonomous of the goods transfer deck 130DG. It has a breakpack commodity interface 263 connecting each edge of the transport transfer loop 234 . A merchandise autonomous transport loop 234 formed by merchandise transfer decks 130DG is disposed on deck surface 130DGS of a deck (e.g., merchandise transfer deck 130DG) at each storage level 130L. A plurality of breakpack commodity autonomous transfer transfer loops 234 are arranged on deck surface 130BS of container bot transfer surface 266RS (formed by container transfer deck 130DC and/or rails 1200S) on which container autonomous transfer transfer loops 233 are disposed. is disposed on a different deck surface 130DGS of a deck (eg, merchandise transfer deck 130DG) that is separate and distinct from. The breakpack merchandise autonomous transfer loop 234 formed by the merchandise transfer deck 130DG (and thus the merchandise transfer deck 130DG) includes at least one autonomous breakpack merchandise transfer vehicle (also called merchandise bot or merchandise transfer vehicle) 262 . Arranged to constrain each storage level 130L. At least one merchandise bot 262 unpacks one or more breakpack merchandise BPGs (e.g., from supply containers in pack-level sorting) along breakpack merchandise autonomous transport loops 234 formed by merchandise transfer decks 130DG. are arranged or otherwise arranged to transport packs or units to be processed/units/pieces unpacked from packs in individual level classifications between the breakpack handling station 140 and the breakpack commodity interface 263. configured. The container bot(s) 110 are also configured to autonomously pick and place breakpack merchandise containers 264 at the breakpack merchandise interface 263 as described herein. Breakpack merchandise interface 263 may be substantially similar to one or more of transfer station TS and buffer station BS described herein (non-deterministic of rack storage space 130S described herein). may include a non-deterministic surface (similar to a surface) upon which the breakpack merchandise container 264 is placed so as to form a non-deterministic interface between the merchandise transfer deck 130DG and the container transfer deck 130DC. .

In one aspect, the merchandise transfer deck 130DG is used to pick merchandise from one container (such as supply container 265 or any other suitable normalized container 265S) at the breakpack operations station 140 and to deliver merchandise at the breakpack merchandise interface 263. Facilitate the decanting process, which is consolidated with the goods (generally of the same type) in another (e.g., outbound, as described below) supply container 265 or normalized container 265S, where other supplies Container 265 or container 265S to be normalized is returned to storage. Generally, the incoming supply container 265 of the breakpack module 266 is picked until empty, but only some (but not all) of the goods from the incoming supply container may be decanted. Also referred to herein as the outbound (i.e. outbound from breakpack module 266) container 265 or normalized container 265S (tote, tray, etc.) is also used to facilitate the decanting process. can be positioned on the breakpack product interface 263 by the container bot(s) 110 in a manner similar to that described herein with respect to. In the decanting process, items are removed from the supply container 265 (which may be the original product/case packaging of item(s)) at the Breakpack operation station 140 and placed on the Breakpack item interface 263 ( For example, outbound supply container 265 (having the same type of merchandise that is unloaded at breakpack handling station 140) or normalized container 265S. Items of the same type are consolidated from multiple supply containers 265 into fewer supply containers 265 (and then returned to storage by container bot(s) 110) to be stored in storage racks. The storage density of the automated storage and retrieval system 100 increases when the supply container 265 can be maintained substantially "full" (rather than having multiple containers that are not full with the same type of merchandise). can be increased. In some aspects, decanted goods (in containers to be normalized or outbound supply containers) are unloaded from storage and retrieval system 100 via lift 150 and placed in a pallet load (such as at unload station 160UT). It may be palletized as a batch or shipped individually (eg, at discharge station 160EC).

Merchandise bot 262 may be any suitable type of autonomously guided bot having a payload configured to hold breakpack merchandise rather than product containers (eg, case units, pickfaces, etc.). Each of the product bots 262 has a payload holder that is configured dissimilarly to the payload holder of the container bot 110 . Merchandise bot 262 is configured to move autonomously, unconstrained, along and across breakpack merchandise autonomous transport movement loop 234 formed by merchandise deck 130DG. Merchandise bot 262 is configured to automatically retrieve one or more breakpack merchandise BPGs (retrieved from breakpack operations station 140 ) from merchandise bot 262 into breakpack merchandise container 264 at breakpack merchandise interface 263 . there is A suitable example of a merchandise bot 262 is that manufactured by Tompkins International of Raleigh, North Carolina, USA (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 10,248,112, issued Apr. 2, 2019). ). Breakpack commodity autonomous transport-movement loop(s) 234 formed by commodity deck 130DG are breakpack commodity autonomous transport-movement loop(s) 234 formed by commodity deck 130DG (e.g. , movement loops 234A-234E) for movement of the merchandise bot 262 (see FIG. 2C). As mentioned herein, three lanes of travel are illustrated for illustrative purposes only, and in other aspects there may be more or less than three lanes of travel. At least one of the plurality of travel lanes is subject to an obstacle on another one of the plurality of travel lanes in a manner similar to that described herein with respect to the plurality of travel lanes of container transfer deck 130DC. A passing lane for movement of the product bot 262 past the object. Breakpack product autonomous transport loop(s) 234 provide product bot 262 with random access to any and each of breakpack product interface locations 263L of breakpack product interface 263 . In other aspects, the breakpack commodity autonomous transport loop(s) 234 provide commodity bot 262 access to the belt sorter BST, where the belt sorter BST is the breakpack commodity into the breakpack product interface 263 (and in some aspects configured as a sort buffer). Here, belt sorter BST acts as an interface between merchandise bot 262 and container bot 110 .

One or more portions of merchandise transfer deck 130DG (such as adjacent breakpack merchandise interface location 263L) may, in one or more aspects, be breakpack(s) at breakpack merchandise interface location 263L. To provide exit (or off) ramps or entrance (or on) ramps between travel loops 234A-234E to effect transfer of breakpack merchandise BPG to and from merchandise container 264 (or supply containers 265, 265S). can be secured to Although the exit ramps (referred to herein as ramps 222, 222C, 222R) are described herein, it is understood that the entrance ramps are substantially opposite in direction from the exit ramps 222, 222C, 222R. (eg, providing access to the moving loop rather than access from the moving loop). For example, the bot 110 kinematics (speed, direction, etc.) and position (e.g., near the corner of the merchandise transfer deck 130DG; One or more lamps 222, 222C, 333R are provided depending on the location (off-corner, etc.). For illustrative purposes only, ramp 222 is a generic depiction of an on/off ramp that may be positioned anywhere on merchandise transfer deck 130DG and may have any suitable length. Ramp 222C is positioned at a corner of merchandise transfer deck 130DG. Ramp 222R is a "rolling" ramp that moves according to the path of merchandise bot 262 moving along ramp 222R.

Ramps 222, 222C, 222R (both on-ramps and off-ramps) are for general access by merchandise bot 262 (e.g., to and from breakpack merchandise interface location 263L within the area designated by ramps 222, 222C, 222R). Only certain product bots that deliver breakpack products may have access to the respective on and off ramps) may be temporarily "closed". Generally, ramps 222, 222C, 222R provide passage between passing lanes to designated breakpack merchandise interface locations 263L. Each ramp 222, 222C, 222R (item bot 2662 enters the ramp, moves in one direction along the ramp to pick or place breakpack merchandise BPG, then moves in the opposite direction along the ramp). and exiting a ramp) can be bi-directional. In another aspect, the ramps are “countercurrent ramps” in which travel along ramps 222 , 222 C, 222 R is generally opposite the direction of travel around one or more of travel loop(s) 234 . (eg, product bot 262 exits the travel loop and travels in substantially opposite directions along ramps 222, 222C, 222R). If the ramps 222, 222C, 222R are off ramps, the ramps 222, 222C, 222R may end at the designated breakpack merchandise interface location 263L. Similarly, when ramps 222, 222C, 222R are on-ramps, ramps 222, 222C, 222R may start at a designated breakpack merchandise interface location 263L. As discussed above, ramps 222, 222C, 222R are positioned such that ramp entry locations are referred to as parking lanes (e.g., It may be positioned anywhere on the merchandise transfer deck 130DG so that the merchandise bot changes in lane or portion of the travel loop that it stops to pick or place the breakpack merchandise BPG. Although the turn of merchandise bot 262 to and from ramps 222, 222C, 222R is illustrated as a substantially 90° turn, in other aspects the turn may be a turn, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. having an S-shape similar to that described in U.S. patent application Ser. It is noted to obtain

The ramps 222, 222C, 222R are dynamically created such that the ramp progresses and "rolls" with an initial ramp length generated from product bot entry with adequate clearance to avoid product bot collision. (eg, a "rolling" ramp such as ramp 222R). In one or more aspects, ramps 222, 222C, 222R may be "blocked" (blocked) by active merchandise bots 262/active breakpack merchandise interface locations 263L when ramps to designated breakpack merchandise interface locations 263L or otherwise obstructed), but considering that the obstruction is expected to clear before the merchandise bot 262 traveling along the ramp reaches the obstruction, the starting be done. In one or more aspects, if the occlusion to the ramps 222, 222C, 222R is cleared, the ramps 222, 222C, 222R are extended to the designated breakpack commodity interface location 263L, but if the occlusion is not cleared: Merchandise bots 262 traveling along ramps 222, 222C, 222R are redirected, for example, to the passing lane so that merchandise bots 262 reach designated breakpack merchandise interface location 263L or another one designated breakpack merchandise interface location. A new ramp is calculated/determined so that the breakpack product BPG can be placed at 263L.

Referring also to FIG. 13, the breakpack operations station 140 is configured such that one or more breakpack merchandise BPGs are unpacked from supply containers 265 at the breakpack operations station 140, and at least one merchandise bot 262 is configured to: A breakpack handling station 140 is configured to be loaded with one or more breakpack products BPG. In one or more aspects, an operator at the breakpack operations station 140 places a breakpack product BPG into at least one product bot 262 for transfer to the breakpack product interface 263 . In another aspect, referring to FIGS. 1 and 2A, belt sorter BST is disposed between breakpack operating station 140 and merchandise bot 262 to form an interface therebetween. Here, an operator at the Breakpack Operations Station places the Breakpack Merchandise BPG into the Belt Sorter BST, which sorts the Breakpack Merchandise BPG into the Merchandise Bot 262 (and in some aspects acts as a classification buffer). The breakpack handling station 140 includes any suitable supply container 265 support surface 140S. In one aspect, support surface 140S is a non-deterministic surface substantially similar to that of the storage shelves described herein and includes slats 1210S that form support surface 140S. In other aspects, the support surface 140S is a non-deterministic roller conveyor (powered or unpowered) whereby the tines 273A-273E (FIGS. 4A and 4B) of the pick head 270 of the container bot 110 position (or off) the supply container 265 onto (or away from) the support surface 140S. or picking) with the rollers of a roller conveyor. Here, container bot 110 autonomously transfers supply container(s) 265 from container bot 110 to breakpack handling station 140 (eg, to support surface 140S) in the manner described herein. is configured as In some aspects, referring to FIGS. 1 and 2A, container bot 110 delivers supply containers 265 to belt sorter BST configured as an interface between container bot 110 and breakpack operating station 140 . Here, the container bot 110 places the supply container 265 onto the belt sorter BST, which sorts the supply container 265 onto the support surface 140S of the breakpack operating station 140 (and, in some aspects, the sorting buffer). ). The support surface 140S is such that when the supply container 265 is placed by the container bot 110 or belt sorter BST, the supply container 265 provides one or more of pack level sorting of goods or unit/individual level sorting of goods. Picking breakpack merchandise BPG from supply container 265 and normalized containers 265S (totes, trays, etc.) and breakpack merchandise containers to merchandise bot 262 or positioned in operator staging area 140A in any suitable manner An operator 141 (e.g., a human operator or any suitable robotic operator (e.g., an articulated arm, gantry, etc. )). Supply containers 265 may move along support surface 140S to respective operator staging areas 140A, where operators 141 may place supply containers for placement on merchandise bot 262 or another one of containers 265S, 264. 265 to pick breakpack merchandise BPG. In one aspect, operator staging area 140A may be adjacent to and/or formed by support surface 140S. As described herein, supply cases 265 with merchandise remaining after breakpacking has been performed may be picked by container bot 110 from support surface 140S or staging area 140A and stored in storage or lift 150. can be returned to Empty supply containers 265 may be removed from support surface 140S or staging area 140A by operator 141, stored at breakpack handling station 140, and later removed in any suitable manner. In one or more aspects, container bot 110 may transport empty containers from a storage and retrieval system via lift 150 . In one or more aspects, the breakpack handling station 140 includes any suitable waste removal system 223 for removing waste (or waste, such as shrink wrapping, packaging, boxes, etc.) from the storage and retrieval system. . In one or more aspects, the waste removal system 223 includes one or more of a chute, conveyor, lift, or any other suitable conveying device configured to move waste to a predetermined location. Alternatively, waste may be placed in a container and removed from the storage and retrieval system by container bot 110 via lift 150 . As seen in FIGS. 2C and 13, the breakpack commodity transfer deck 130DG is separated from each access of the container transfer deck 130DC to the breakpack operating station 140 (e.g., at the common support surface 140S) for the container bot 110. breakpack handling station 140 and container transfer deck 130DC at separate locations (eg, breakpack merchandise interface location 263L).

In one aspect, referring also to FIG. 2D, one or more of the breakpack modules 266 include two or more (ie, multiple levels) of merchandise transfer decks 130DG1-130DG3 stacked one above the other, although other In embodiments, the breakpack module(s) may have a single level with an elevated level of at least one breakpack module connected to the container transfer deck level. Here, the breakpack commodity interface 263 may be generally similar to a rack as shown in FIG. 1B, comprising multiple levels 130DGL1-130DGL3 each accessible from a common (level) container transfer deck 130DC. can contain. Referring now also to FIG. 14, according to aspects of the disclosed embodiment, a breakpack merchandise interface location 263L is provided to the merchandise transfer deck 130DG in a manner substantially similar to that described herein. Arranged in at least one level of the breakpack merchandise interface 263 along one or more edges (FIG. 14, block 1600) (again, the breakpack stations are illustrated with three levels) but in other embodiments at least one elevated level is provided). At least one elevated level of merchandise transfer decks 130DG1-130DG3 is also provided (FIG. 14, block 1610), the elevated level deck(s) being multiple levels of merchandise transfer decks 130DG1-130DG3. Each level defines a rolling surface for the product bot 262 . As described above, the breakpack commodity interface location 263L of at least one elevated level 130DGL1-130DGL3 of the breakpack commodity interfaces 263 is a container transfer deck 130DC (or at least one elevated (FIG. 14, block 1620), where the breakpack merchandise interface location 263L is accessed from each level 130DGL1-130DGL1-130DG3 of the multi-level merchandise transfer decks 130DG1-130DG3. 130DGL3 is disposed along at least the edges of the goods transfer deck 130DG.

Container bot 110 may be any suitable independently operable autonomous vehicle that transports and transfers case units along the X and Y throughput axes throughout storage and retrieval system 100 . In one aspect, container bot 110 is an automated, independent (eg, free-riding) autonomous vehicle. A suitable example of a bot is U.S. patent application Ser. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/757,312, filed on Dec. 15, 2011 (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,425,173); U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/326,447 filed Dec. 15, 2011 (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,965,619), U.S. patent filed Dec. 15, 2011 Application No. 13/326,505 (now U.S. Patent No. 8,696,010), U.S. Application No. 13/327,040, filed December 15, 2011 (now U.S. Patent 9,187,244), U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/326,952 filed Dec. 15, 2011, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/486,008, filed Sep. 15, 2014, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/107,135, filed Jan. 23, 2015. . The container bot 110 (described in more detail below) places case units, such as the retail items described above, into pick stock at one or more levels of the storage structure 130 and then selects the ordered case units. can be configured to retrieve As can be appreciated, in one aspect, storage array throughput axes X and Y (e.g., pick face transport axes) are aligned with pick path 130A (as described herein) of container bot 110, at least one Defined by container transfer deck 130DC, container bot 110, and extendable end effectors (and in other aspects, extendable end effectors of lift 150 also define, at least in part, the Y throughput axis).

The pick face (which, in one aspect, may include a supply container 265) comprises an inbound section of the storage and retrieval system 100 (e.g., inbound station 160IN, etc.) where the array inbound pick face is created, and a storage and retrieval section. Transported to and from the load filling section of system 100 (eg, unloading station 160UT or unloading station 160EC, etc.) where outgoing pick faces from the array pick up loads according to a predetermined load filling order sequence, or is arranged to fill the individual fulfillment order(s) according to the individual fulfillment order sequence of the . In another aspect, the pick face (eg, of the supply container 265) loads the shipments according to a predetermined load fill order sequence, or the individual fulfillment(s) according to a predetermined individual fulfillment order sequence. Orders are transported between storage space 130S and a load filling section of storage and retrieval system 100 (eg, output station 160UT or output station 160EC, etc.) for filling. In yet another aspect, the breakpack merchandise container 264 (in one aspect, multiple breakpack merchandise containers may be arranged and transported as a pick face) fills a shipment according to a predetermined load filling order sequence, or a predetermined Between the storage space 130S and the load filling section and/or the breakpack module(s) 266 to fill the individual fulfillment order(s) according to the individual fulfillment order sequence(s). and the load filling section of the storage and retrieval system 100 (eg, unload station 160UT or unload station 160EC, etc.). The control server 120 determines that the pickface and breakpack commodity containers 264 (eg, of the supply container 265) have the commodity sorted through one or more of the orthogonal classification echelons 15000, 15100, 15200 (eg, the supply container 265) of the pickface and breakpack containers 264 for loading the cargo into the cargo filling section according to aspects disclosed herein. 100 can be operated in various modes of operation.

In one aspect, storage rack modules RMs and container bots 110 have two or more pick faces picked from one or more of the storage spaces in response to a predetermined load fill order sequence, and storage space 130S. Storage rack modules RM and container bots 110 combine to be positioned at different one or more pickface holding positions (e.g., buffer and transfer stations BS, TS, etc.) on at least one of the throughput axes. (or in other aspects, on at least one of each of the two or more) is arranged to provide on-the-fly sorting of mixed-case pickfaces simultaneously with transport.

Container bots 110, lift modules 150, and other suitable features of storage and retrieval system 100 may be connected, for example, to one or more central system control computers (e.g., control server) 120 or the like in any suitable manner. In one aspect, network 180 is a wired network, a wireless network, or a combination of wireless and wired networks using any suitable type and/or number of communication protocols. In one aspect, control server 120 includes a collection of substantially concurrently executing programs (eg, system management software) for substantially automatic control of automated storage and retrieval system 100 . A collection of programs that run substantially concurrently may, for example, control, schedule, and monitor the activity of all active system components, inventory (e.g., which case units are brought in and , the order in which the cases are removed, and where the case units are stored) and the pick face (e.g., one or more case units that are movable as a unit and handled as a unit by components of the storage and retrieval system). ) and interfacing with warehouse management system 2500 . Control server 120, in one aspect, may be configured to control features of the storage and retrieval system in the manner described herein. For simplicity and ease of explanation, the term "case unit(s)" is used herein generally to refer to both individual case units and pick faces (pick face is formed of multiple case units that are moved as a unit). Referring also to FIG. 17A, with respect to recursive classification of commodities via orthogonal classification echelons 15000, 15100, 15200, the configuration of controller 120 (eg, non-transient computer program code therein) ensures that the solution is , 15200 mimics the physical structure of the orthogonal classification echelons 15000, 15100, 15200 so that the controller 120 approaches the solution for recursive classification in the same way provided by the physical components of the orthogonal classification echelons 15000, 15100, 15200. For example, the controller 120 can be used to sort large commodity unit(s) into smaller commodity units, and into sorted larger commodity units, as described herein. A case-level sorting echelon control module 120M1, a pack-level sorting echelon, which alone or in combination (e.g., depending on the level of sorting required to effect order fulfillment) effects subsequent recursively sorted assembly of smaller merchandise units. Includes a control module 120M2, and a unit/individual level classification echelon control module 120M3.

1B and 1C, rack module array RMA of storage structure 130 includes vertical support members 1212 and horizontal support members 1200 that define a high density automated storage array, as described in greater detail below. Rails 1200S may be attached, for example, to one or more of vertical support members 1212 and horizontal support members 1200 in picking aisle 130A and are configured for container bot 110 to ride along rails 1200S through picking aisle 130A. can be At least one side of at least one of the picking aisles 130A of the at least one storage level 130L may have one or more storage shelves (eg, formed by rails 1210, 1200 and slats 1210S). . In one aspect, one or more shelves are varied to form multiple shelf levels 130LS1-130LS3 between storage or deck levels 130L defined by transfer deck 130B (and rails 1200S forming an aisle deck). height. Accordingly, there are multiple rack shelf levels 130LS1-130LS3 corresponding to each storage level 130L extending along one or more picking aisles 130A communicating with the container transfer deck 130DC of the respective storage level 130L. As can be appreciated, multiple rack shelf levels 130LS1-130LS3 are stacks of stored case units/supply containers 265 (or case layers) accessible from a common deck 1200S of each storage level 130L and/or Provide each storage level 130L having a stack of stored breakpack merchandise containers 264 (or breakpack tiers) (eg, stacks of stored cases positioned between storage levels).

As can be appreciated, a container bot 110 traversing the picking aisle 130A at the corresponding storage level 130L will be directed to each storage space 130S (e.g., case units and/or breakpacks) available at each shelf level 130LS1-130LS3. (for picking and placing merchandise containers), where each shelf level 130LS1-130LS3 is adjacent on one or more sides PAS1, PAS2 (see, eg, FIG. 2A) of the picking aisle 130A. are positioned between adjacent vertically stacked storage levels 130L. As described above, each of storage shelf levels 130LS1-130LS3 is accessible by container bot 110 from rail 1200 (eg, from common picking aisle deck 1200S corresponding to container transfer deck 130DC at each storage level 130L). be. As can be seen in FIGS. 1B and 1C, vertical (and There are one or more intermediate shelf rails 1210B, 1210C spaced apart (eg, in the Z direction). As can be appreciated, horizontal support member 1200 also forms shelf rails (in addition to shelf rails 1210) on which case units rest.

Each stacked shelf level 130LS1-130LS3 (and/or each single shelf level described below) of the corresponding storage level 130L (eg, along the length of an aisle or by a picking aisle) The pick face (e.g., supply container 265 ) and/or an open and non-deterministic two-dimensional storage surface (e.g., with a case unit/breakpack container support surface CUSP as shown in FIG. 1C) that facilitates dynamic allocation of breakpack merchandise containers 264. define. The dynamic allocation of the pick face and the case units that make up the pick face is described, for example, in US Pat. No. 8,594,835, issued November 26, 2013, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. provided in the manner described in the Although supply container 265 is illustrated in FIG. 1B as being stored on side PAS2 of picking aisle 130A and breakpack merchandise container 264 is shown stored on side PAS1 of picking aisle 130A, in another aspect, A combination of supply containers 265 and breakpack commodity containers 264 stored on a common side PAS1, PAS2 (e.g., one or both sides PAS1, PAS2) of the picking aisle 130A and/or a supply container stored on a common shelf surface. 265 and breakpack merchandise containers 264 may exist.

In one aspect, referring to FIGS. 1D and 4B, each of the storage levels 130L includes a single level of storage shelves for storing a single level of case units (e.g., each storage level includes a single case unit support surface CUSP), the container bot 110 is configured to transfer case units to and from the storage shelves of respective storage levels 130L. For example, the container bot 110' illustrated in FIG. 4B is generally similar to the container bot 110 described herein, except that the container bot 110' includes (e.g., common rails) such as those described above. 1200S) is not provided to place case units in multiple bin levels 130LS1-130LS3. Here, a transfer arm drive 250 (which may be substantially similar to one or more of drives 250A, 250B) lifts case units from a single level case unit support surface CUSP of a storage shelf between payload area 110PL. and sufficient Z movement to transfer the case unit between the fingers 273 of the transfer arm 110PA and the payload bed 110PB. A suitable example of a container bot 110' can be found, for example, in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/326,993, filed December 15, 2011, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

Referring now also to FIG. 2A, each container transfer deck 130D or storage level 130L includes one or more liftpick face interface/handoff stations TS (referred to herein as interface stations TS), where: Case unit(s) (e.g., individual case units, pickfaces, supply containers, etc.), totes and/or breakpack merchandise containers 264 are transported by lift load handling equipment LHD and container bots on container transfer deck 130DC. 110. The interface station TS is positioned on the side of the container transfer deck 130DC opposite the picking aisle 130A and the rack module RM, such that the container transfer deck 130DC is interposed between the picking aisle and each interface station TS. . As described above, each container bot 110 at each pick level 130L is located at each storage location at its respective storage level 130L such that each container bot 110 also has access to each interface station TS at its respective level 130L. 130S, each picking aisle 130A, and each lift 150 (via respective container transfer decks 130DC). In one aspect, the interface station provides a fast bot travel path along the container transfer deck 130DC such that access of the container bot 110 to the interface station TS is indeterminate with respect to bot speed on the fast bot travel path HSTP. Offset from HSTP. In this manner, each container bot 110 can store (one or more) case units (e.g., individual case units, pickfaces (built by the bot), supply containers, etc.), totes, and/or breakpack merchandise. A container 264 can be moved from any interface station TS to any storage space 130S corresponding to deck level 130L (and vice versa).

In one aspect, the interface station TS provides a case unit (e.g., individual case unit, pick face, supply container, etc.) between the container bot 110 and the load handling device LHD of the lift 150, described in more detail below; Configured for passive transfer (e.g., handoff) of totes and/or breakpack merchandise containers 264 (e.g., interface station TS has no moving parts for transporting case units) . For example, referring also to FIG. 2B, interface station TS and/or buffer station BS can be connected to container bot 110 (as described herein) and storage space 130S where case units or totes are transferred between shelves and storage spaces 130S. In one aspect, (each formed by rails 1210, 1200 and slats 1210S) such that handoff (e.g., picking and placing) of container bots 110 occurs in a passive manner substantially similar to that between ) one or more stacked levels TL1, TL2 of transfer rack shelves RTS that are generally similar to the storage shelves described above (e.g., exploiting the lifting capabilities of the container bot 110 relative to the stacked rack shelves RTS); including. In one aspect, the buffer stations BS at one or more of the stacked levels TL1, TL2 also function as handoff/interface stations for the load handling equipment LHD of the lift 150. In one aspect, a bot, such as container bot 110', can load case units (eg, individual case units, pick faces, supply containers, etc.), totes, and/or breakpack merchandise containers into a single level 130L of storage. When configured for H.264 transfer, interface station TS and/or buffer station BS may also be a single transfer rack shelf (eg, substantially similar to the storage rack shelf of storage level 130L described above with respect to FIG. 1C). Contains one level. As can be appreciated, the operation of a storage and retrieval system in which container bot 110' serves a single level of storage and transfer shelving is substantially similar to the operation described herein. As can also be appreciated, case units (eg, individual case units, pick faces, supply containers, etc.), totes, and/or into stacked rack shelves RTS (and/or single level rack shelves). The load handling device LHD (or lift) handoff (e.g., picking and placement) of the breakpack merchandise container 264 causes the case units, totes, and/or breakpack merchandise containers 264 to be transferred to and from shelves (described herein). (as described in the literature) in a passive manner, substantially similar to the method between the container bot 110 and the storage space 130S. In other aspects, the shelves are provided for picking and placing case units, totes, and/or breakpack merchandise containers 264 from one or more of the container bot 110 and the load handling device LHD of the lift 150 (shown in FIG. 4A). A transfer arm 110PA of the container bot 110 shown in FIG. Suitable examples of interface stations using active transfer arms are described, for example, in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 12/757,354, filed April 9, 2010, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Are listed.

In one aspect, the position of container bot 110 relative to interface station TS occurs in a manner substantially similar to the position of the bot relative to storage space 130S. For example, in one aspect, the position of the container bot 110 relative to the storage space 130S and the interface station TS is determined according to U.S. Patent Application No. 13, filed Dec. 15, 2011, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. /327,035 (now U.S. Patent No. 9,008,884) and U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 13/608,877, filed September 10, 2012 (now U.S. Patent No. 8,954). , 188). For example, referring to FIGS. 1 and 1C, container bot 110 detects one or more slats 1210S or positioning features 130F (openings, reflective surfaces, RFID tags, etc.) disposed on/in rail 1200. Includes sensor 110S. The slats and/or positioning features 130F are arranged to identify the position of the container bot 110 within the storage and retrieval system relative to the storage space and/or the interface station TS, for example. In one aspect, the container bot 110 includes a controller 110C that at least partially determines the position of the container bot 110 within the storage and retrieval system 100, for example, by counting the slats 1210S. In other aspects, the positioning feature 130F may be arranged to form an absolute or incremental encoder that, when detected by the container bot 110, provides a position determination of the container bot 110 within the storage and retrieval system 100. good.

As can be seen, referring to FIG. 2B, the transfer rack shelf RTS at each interface/handoff station TS is arranged on a common transfer rack shelf RS (e.g., for holding a corresponding number of case units or totes). defining a multiload station (having one or more storage case unit holding positions); As described above, each load of the multiload station is picked and placed by either the container bot 110 or the load handling device LHD (e.g., multiple case units/totes/breakpacks moved as a single unit). single case unit/tote/breakpack container (with merchandise container) or multi-case pick face. As can also be appreciated, due to the bot positions described above, the container bot 110 is directed to the multiload station for picking and placing case units/totes and pickfaces from predetermined positions in the multiload station's holding position. It becomes possible to position itself. The interface/handoff station TS may include one or more multi-place buffers (e.g., one or more cases located along the X-axis of the container bot 110 when the container bot 110 interfaces with the interface station TS). Buffer with holding positions (see FIG. 4B)) where the inbound and/or outbound case unit/tote/breakpack merchandise containers and pickfaces are connected to the container bot 110 and the load handling device LHD of the lift 150. temporarily stored when transported between

In one aspect, one or more peripheral buffer/handoff stations BS (substantially similar to interface station TS and referred to herein as buffer stations BS) are also located opposite picking aisle 130A and rack module RM. , such that the container transfer deck 130DC is interposed between the picking aisle and each buffer station BS. The peripheral buffer stations BS are interspersed between the interface stations TS, or otherwise juxtaposed with them in one aspect, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B. In one aspect, peripheral buffer station BS is formed by rails 1210, 1200 and slats 1210S and is a continuation (but separate section) of interface station TS (e.g., interface station and peripheral buffer station share common rail 1210, 1200). Thus, the peripheral buffer station BS also includes in one aspect also one or more stacked levels TL1, TL2 of transfer rack shelves RTS as described above with respect to the interface station TS, in another aspect the buffer station contains a single level of transport rack shelves. Peripheral buffer stations BS are container bots whose case unit/tote/breakpack merchandise containers and/or pick faces are separate and distinct from one container bot 110 on the same storage level 130L, as described in more detail below. Define buffers that are temporarily stored as they are transported to 110 . As can be appreciated, in one aspect, the peripheral buffer stations are located at any suitable location in the storage and retrieval system, including anywhere within the picking aisle 130A and along the container transfer deck 130DC.

Still referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B, in one aspect at least the interface station TS is positioned on an extension or pier 130BD extending from the container transfer deck 130DC, while in other aspects the length of the interface station TS is: It can be arranged and extended along the container transfer deck. In one aspect, pier 130BD resembles a picking path along which container bot 110 travels along rails 1200S that are secured to horizontal support member 1200 (in a manner substantially similar to that described above). In other aspects, the movement surface of pier 130BD may be substantially similar to the movement surface of container transfer deck 130DC. Each pier 130BD is positioned on a side of the container transfer deck 130DC, such as opposite the picking aisle 130A and the rack module RM, such that the container transfer deck 130DC is interposed between the picking aisle and each pier 130BD. be done. The pier(s) 130BD extend from the transfer deck at a non-zero angle to at least a portion of the high speed bot transport path HSTP. In other aspects, the pier(s) 130BD extend from any suitable portion of the container transfer deck 130DC including ends 130BE1, 130BE2 of the container transfer deck 130DCD. As can be appreciated, a peripheral buffer station BSD (substantially similar to peripheral buffer station BS above) may also be located along at least a portion of peer 130BD.

3A, 3B, 4B and 5, as noted above, in one aspect interface station TS is a passive station and therefore load transfer device LHD of lift 150A, 150B is an active transfer arm or It has a pick head 4000A. In one aspect, the inbound lift module 150A and the outbound lift module 150B are of different types (as described in U.S. Pat. No. 9,856,083, previously incorporated herein by reference in its entirety). Although having pickheads, in other aspects, the inbound lift module 150A and the outbound lift module 150B have the same type of pickheads similar to pickhead 4000A. The pickheads of lifts 150A, 150B may define, at least in part, a Y throughput axis as described herein. In one aspect, both the inbound lift module 150A and the outbound lift module 150B have vertical masts 4002 along which slides 4001 are configured to raise and lower the slides (and pickheads 4000A attached thereto). It moves under the motive force of any suitable lift drive unit (eg, connected to control server 120). Entry lift module(s) 150A includes a pickhead 4000A attached to slide 4001 such that pickhead 4000A moves vertically with slide 4001 as the slide moves vertically. In this aspect, pick head 4000 A includes one or more tines or fingers 4273 attached to base member 4272 . Base member 4272 is movably attached to one or more rails 4360S of frame 4200 which in turn is attached to slide 4001 . Any suitable drive unit 4005 such as a belt drive, chain drive, screw drive, gear drive, etc. (generally similar in shape to drive 4002D, but similar in capacity to drive 4002D since drive 4005 is smaller than drive 4002D). ) are mounted to frame 4200 and coupled to base member 4272 for driving base member 4272 (with finger(s)) in the directions of arrows 4050 (e.g., extension direction 4050A and retraction direction 4050B). be done. The outbound lift module(s) 150B may be substantially similar to the inbound lift module(s) 150A.

As can be appreciated, when the lift modules 150A, 150B pick and place the case unit(s) and/or breakpack merchandise containers, the pick head 4000A is positioned at the interface station at the predetermined storage level 130L. Under control of any suitable controller, such as control server 120, to be raised and/or lowered to a predetermined height corresponding to TS. As can be appreciated, the lift modules 150A, 150B may be used as described herein and/or in the "Vertical In a manner substantially similar to that described in US Pat. REF2), where the export lift module 150B forms part of the case-level sorting Echelon 15000 and sorts case units on-the-fly for delivery to the export station 160US. is configured to At the interface station TS, the pick head 4000A or individual portions thereof (e.g. effectors or load handling devices LHD ) extend such that fingers 4273 are interdigitated between slats 1210S (as illustrated in FIG. 4B) under the case unit(s) to be picked. The lifts 150A, 150B raise the pick head 4000A to lift the case unit(s) from the slats 1210S and move the case unit(s) to one or more of the unloading stations 160UT, 160EC. The pick head 4000A is retracted for transport, such as transport, of the case unit(s) and/or breakpack container to another level of the storage and retrieval system. Similarly, for locating one or more case units, the pick head 4000A or its respective pick head 4000A corresponds to one or more case unit holding positions of the interface station TS where the one or more case units are located. (eg, effector or load handling device LHD) extend so that fingers 4273 are above the slats. The lift 150A, 150B lowers the pick head 4000A to place the case unit(s) on the slats 1210S so that the fingers 4273 are aligned with the case unit(s) to be picked. There is interfitting between the lower slats 1210S.

Referring now to FIG. 4A, as described above, container bot 110 includes stacked storage spaces 130S defined at least partially in the Z direction by one or more of rails 1210A-1210C, 1200, interface station TS, and a peripheral buffer station BS, a transfer arm 110PA that provides for the picking and placement of case units from the BSD (e.g., storage space, interface stations, and/or peripheral buffer stations are the Via dynamic assignment, it can be further defined in the X and Y directions relative to either the rack's reference frame REF2 or the bot's reference frame REF). As can be appreciated, the bot defines an X throughput axis (eg, relative to the bot's frame of reference REF) and at least partially a Y throughput axis, as further described below.

The container bot 110 transports case units at respective storage levels 130L between each lift module 150 and each storage space 130S, as described above. Container bot 110 includes frame 110F having drive section 110DR and payload section 110PL. Drive sections 110DR each drive a respective drive wheel(s) 202 to propel container bot 110 along the X direction (relative to the bot's frame of reference REF to define the X throughput axis). includes one or more drive wheel motors to which are connected. As can be seen, the X-axis of bot movement coincides with the storage position as container bot 110 moves through picking aisle 130A. In this aspect, the container bot 110 is positioned on opposite sides of the container bot 110 at an end 110E1 (eg, a first longitudinal end) of the container bot 110 to support the container bot 110 on a suitable drive surface. Although two drive wheels 202 are provided on the container bot 110 in other aspects, any suitable number of drive wheels may be provided on the container bot 110 . In one aspect, each drive wheel 202 is independently controlled such that the container bot 110 can be steered by differential rotation of the drive wheels 202, while in other aspects the rotation of the drive wheels 202 is substantially the same. It may be coupled to rotate at speed. Any suitable wheels 201 are attached to the frame on opposite sides of container bot 110 at ends 110E2 (eg, second longitudinal ends) of container bot 110 to support container bot 110 on drive surfaces. . In one aspect, the wheels 201 are caster wheels that are free to rotate such that the container bot 110 can be pivoted by differential rotation of the drive wheels 202 to change the direction of travel of the container bot 110. . In other aspects, the wheels 201 may be controlled by a bot controller 110C (configured to effect control of the container bot 110 as described herein) to change the direction of movement of the container bot 110, for example. A steerable wheel that turns below. In one aspect, container bot 110 includes, for example, one or more guide wheels 110GW positioned at one or more corners of frame 110F. Guide wheels 110GW guide container bot 110, for example, as described in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 13/326,423, filed Dec. 15, 2011, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. and/or to position the container bot 110 at a predetermined distance from where one or more case units are placed and/or picked, on the container transfer deck 130DC and/or the lift module An interface or transfer station for interfacing with 150 may interface with storage structure 130, such as guide rails (not shown) in picking aisle 130A.

As described above, container bots 110 may enter picking aisles 130A having different facing directions for accessing storage spaces 130S located on opposite sides of picking aisles 130A. For example, the container bot 110 may enter the picking aisle 130A with end 110E2 leading in the direction of travel, or the bot may enter picking aisle 130A with end 110E1 leading in the direction of travel.

A payload section 110PL of container bot 110 includes a payload bed 110PB, a fence or datum member 110PF, a transfer arm 110PA, and a pusher bar or member 110PR. In one aspect, the payload bed 110PB allows one or more case units and/or breakpack merchandise containers carried within the payload section 110PL to, for example, transport the case units and/or breakpack merchandise containers within the payload section 110PL. To position the bot in position and/or relative to other case units and/or breakpack merchandise containers in the payload section 110PL (e.g., longitudinal forward/backward alignment of the case unit). In frame 110F (e.g., container It includes one or more rollers 110RL mounted transversely (relative to the longitudinal axis LX of the bot 110). In one aspect, rollers 110RL may be driven by any suitable motor (e.g., rotated about their respective axes) to move case units and/or breakpack merchandise containers into payload section 110PL. ). In other aspects, the container bot 110 operates on rollers 110RL to move case unit(s) and/or breakpack container(s) into position within payload section 110PL. It includes one or more longitudinally movable pusher bars (not shown) for pushing the case unit and/or the breakpack merchandise container. A longitudinally movable pusher bar is described, for example, in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 13/326,952, filed Dec. 15, 2011, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. can be substantially similar. The pusher bar 110PR is constructed by the fence 110PF and the and/or to provide lateral alignment of case unit(s) and/or breakpack container(s) within payload area 110PL along pick head 270 of transfer arm 110PA. , relative to the reference frame REF of the containerbot 110 in the Y direction.

Still referring to FIG. 4A, case units and/or breakpack commodity containers are placed on payload bed 110PB and removed from payload bed 110PB with transfer arm 110PA along the Y throughput axis. The transfer arm 110PA is substantially configured, for example, as described in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/107,135, filed Jan. 23, 2015, previously incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. It includes a lift mechanism or unit 200 typically positioned within payload section 110PL. Lift mechanism 200 is positioned in storage structure 130 to pick and/or place pick faces and/or individual case units into storage space 130S (eg, at each storage level 130L where container bot 110 is located). Both coarse and fine positioning of the pick face (which can include either case units or breakpack commodity containers, or both case units and breakpack commodity containers) carried by a vertically lifted containerbot 110. offer. For example, the lift mechanism 200 picks and places case units at a plurality of elevated storage shelf levels 130LS1-130LS3, TL1, TL2 accessible from a common picking aisle or interface station deck 1200S (eg, FIGS. 1B, 2B and 1200S). 2B).

The lift mechanism 200 includes a combined robot axis movement (e.g., pusher bar 110PR, lift mechanism 200, pick head extension, and forward/backward(s), such as the longitudinally movable pusher bar described above). position adjustment mechanisms) are configured to be implemented such that different/multi-SKU or multi-pick payloads are processed by the container bot 110. In one aspect, operation of lift mechanism 200 is independent of operation of pusher bar 110PR, as described below. The decoupling of the lift mechanism 200 and the pusher bar 110PR axis provides a combined pick/place sequence, as described above, to reduce pick/place cycle time, increase storage and retrieval system throughput, and/or Or provide storage density for storage and retrieval systems. For example, the lift mechanism 200 picks and places case units at multiple elevated bin levels accessible from a common picking aisle and/or interface station deck 1200S, as described above.

The lift mechanism may be configured in any suitable manner such that the pick head 270 of the container bot 110 moves bidirectionally along the Z axis (eg, reciprocates in the Z direction (see FIG. 4A)). In one aspect, the lift mechanism includes a mast 200M and the pick head 270 is movably mounted to the mast 200M in any suitable manner. The mast is movably mounted to the frame in any suitable manner so as to be movable along the transverse axis LT of container bot 110 (eg, in the Y direction to define the Y throughput axis). In one aspect, the frame includes guide rails 210A, 210B to which the mast 200 is slidably mounted. Transfer arm drives 250A, 250B may be attached to the frame to provide at least movement of transfer arm 110PA along lateral LT (eg, Y-axis) and Z-axes. In one aspect, the transfer arm drives 250A, 250B include extension motors 301 and lift motors 302 . The extension motor 301 is mounted to the frame 110F in any suitable manner such as by a belt and pulley transmission 260A, a screw driven transmission (not shown), and/or a gear driven transmission (not shown) and mounted to the mast 200M. can be concatenated. Lift motor 302 is mounted to mast 200M by any suitable transmission, such as belt and pulley transmission 271, screw drive transmission (not shown), and/or gear drive transmission (not shown), and pick head 270 can be connected to As an example, mast 200M includes guides, such as guide rails 280A, 280B, along which pick head 270 is mounted for guided movement in the Z direction along guide rails 280A, 280B. In other aspects, the pick head is attached to the mast in any suitable manner for guided movement in the Z direction. With respect to transmission 271, belt 271B of belt and pulley transmission 271 is such that as belt 271 moves (eg, driven by motor 302), pick head 270 moves with belt 271 and guide rails 280A, 280A and 280A in the Z direction. It is fixedly connected to pick head 270 so that it can be driven bi-directionally along 280B. As can be appreciated, when a screw drive is utilized to drive the pick head 270 in the Z direction, engagement between the nut and the screw causes the pick head 270 to move as the screw is rotated by the motor 302. A nut can be attached to the pick head 270 to allow it. Similarly, if a gear driven transmission is utilized, a rack and pinion or any other suitable gear drive may drive pick head 270 in the Z direction. In other aspects, any suitable linear actuator is used to move the pick head in the Z direction. Transmission 260A for extension motor 301 is generally similar to that described herein with respect to transmission 271 .

Still referring to FIG. 4A, the pick head 270 of the container bot 110 connects the case unit to the container bot 110, e.g., storage space 130S, peripheral buffer stations BS, BSD, interface stations TS (see FIGS. Between pick/place locations for case units and/or breakpack merchandise containers, such as breakpack handling station 140 (see FIGS. 1 and 2C) and/or breakpack merchandise interface 263 (see FIGS. 1 and 2C). , and in other aspects substantially directly between the container bot 110 and the lift module(s) 150 . In one aspect, the pick head 270 includes a base member 272, one or more tines or fingers 273A-273E, and one or more actuators 274A, 274B. Base member 272 is attached to mast 200M, as described above, so as to ride along guide rails 280A, 280B. One or more of the tines 273A-273E are attached to the base member at the proximal ends of the tines 273A-273E such that the distal ends (eg, free ends) of the tines 273A-273E are cantilevered from the base member 272. 272. Referring now also to FIG. 1C, tines 273A-273E form slats 1210S (and peripheral buffer stations BS, BSD, interface stations TS, breakpack handling station 140, and/or (similar slats) of the breakpack merchandise interface 263).

One or more of the tines 273A-273E are movably mounted (such as on slide/guide rails similar to those described above) to the base member 272 so as to be movable in the Z direction. In one aspect, any number of tines are attached to base member 272, but in the illustrated aspect, five tines 273A-273E are attached to base member 272, for example. Any number of tines 273A-273E are movably attached to base member 272, but in the embodiment illustrated, for example, the outermost tines 273A, 273E (relative to the centerline CL of pick head 270) While movably attached to base member 272, the remaining tines 273B-273D are immovable relative to base member 272. As shown in FIG.

In this aspect, the pick head 270 utilizes as few as three tines 273B-273D to transfer smaller size case units (and/or groups of case units) to and from the container bot 110, while the larger As many as five tines 273A-273E are utilized to transfer size case units (and/or groups of case units) to and from the containerbot 110. FIG. In other aspects, less than three tines are utilized (eg, where more than two tines are movably attached to base member 272) to transport smaller sized case units. For example, in one aspect, the smallest case unit being transferred to or from container bot 110 without interfering with other case units, e.g., on storage shelves, is approximately distance X1 between slats 1210S (see FIG. 1C). Only one tine 273A-273E is movably attached to the base member so as to have a width of .

The stationary tines 373B-373D define the pick plane SP of the pick head 270 when transferring all sizes of case units, breakpack merchandise containers (and/or pick faces of case units and/or breakpack merchandise containers). but movable tines 373A, 373E are relative to stationary tines 373B-373D (eg, in the Z direction with actuators 274A, 274B) to transport larger case units (and/or pick faces). can be raised or lowered selectively. Still referring to FIG. 4A, an example is shown in which all of the tines 273A-273E are positioned such that the case unit support surface SF of each tine 273A-273E coincides with the pick plane SP of the pick head 270; As can be appreciated, the two end tines 273A, 273E are movable to be positioned lower (eg, in the Z direction) relative to the other tines 273B-273D, thereby allowing the tines 273A, 273E, 273E does not touch one or more case units or breakpack merchandise containers (and/or the pick faces of the case units and/or breakpack merchandise containers) carried by the pickhead 270, and the storage space on the storage shelf Case unit support surfaces SF of tines 273A, 273E so as not to interfere with any unpicked case unit or breakpack merchandise container positioned at 130S or any other suitable case unit/breakpack merchandise container holding position. is offset from (eg, below) the pick plane SP.

Movement of the tines 273A-273E in the Z direction is provided by one or more actuators 274A, 274B mounted at any suitable location on the transfer arm 110PA. In one aspect, one or more actuators 274 A, 274 B are attached to the base member 272 of the pick head 270 . The one or more actuators are any suitable actuators, such as linear actuators, capable of moving one or more of the tines 273A-273E in the Z direction. For example, in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4A, there is one actuator 274A, 274B for each movable tine 273A, 273E such that each movable tine is independently movable in the Z direction. Alternatively, one actuator may be coupled to two or more movable tines such that the two or more movable tines move as a unit in the Z direction.

As can be appreciated, by movably mounting one or more of the tines 273A-273E on the base member 272 of the pickhead 270, large case units, breakpack merchandise containers, and/or ( (e.g., case units and/or breakpack product container pick faces), while providing sufficient support, for example, on storage spaces, interface stations, peripheral buffer stations, breakpack handling stations, and/or breakpack product interfaces. It also provides the ability to pick and place small case units or breakpack merchandise containers without interfering with other case units or breakpack merchandise containers positioned in the /. By the ability to pick and place variable size case units without interfering with other case units on/at the storage space, interface stations, peripheral buffer stations, breakpack handling stations, and/or breakpack commodity interfaces , the size of the gap GP between the case units on that storage shelf is reduced (see FIG. 1B). As can be appreciated, since the tines 273B-273D are fixed to the base member 272, raising and lowering of the case unit and/or pick face to and from the case unit holding position is effected solely by the lift motors 301, 301A. , no overlapping movements occur when picking/placing case units.

Referring now also to FIG. 4A, it is again noted that pusher bar 110PR is movable independently of transfer arm 110PA. Pusher bar 110PR is movably mounted to the frame in any suitable manner, such as by a guide rod and slide arrangement, and along the Y direction (e.g., in a direction generally parallel to the extension/retraction direction of transfer arm 110PA). ) is activated. In one aspect, at least one guide rod 360 is mounted within payload section 110PL to extend transversely to longitudinal axis LX of frame 110F. Pusher bar 110PR may include at least one slide member 360S configured to engage and slide along respective guide rods 360. As shown in FIG. In one aspect, at least a guide rod/slide arrangement captures and retains pusher bar 110PR within payload section 110PL. Pusher bar 110PR is actuated by any suitable motor and transmission, such as motor 303 and transmission 303T. In one aspect, the motor 303 is a rotary motor and the transmission 303T is a belt and pulley transmission. In other aspects, pusher bar 110PR may be actuated by a linear actuator having substantially no rotating components.

Pusher bar 110PR is positioned in payload section 110PL so that it is substantially perpendicular to roller 110RL and so as not to interfere with pickhead 270. As shown in FIG. As seen in FIG. 6C, container bot 110 is in a transport configuration with at least one case unit supported on rollers 110RL (eg, the rollers collectively form a payload bed). In the transport configuration, tines 273A-273E of pick head 270 are interdigitated with roller 110RL and positioned (along the Z direction) below case unit support surface RSP (see FIG. 6A) of roller 110RL. Pusher bar 110PR is configured with a slot 351 (FIG. 6D) through which tines 273A-273E pass, where sufficient clearance is provided within slot 351 so that the tines are flush with case unit support surface RSP. , allowing free movement of pusher bar 110PR without interference from tines 273A-273E. Pusher bar 110PR also includes one or more apertures through which rollers 110RL pass, where the apertures allow free rotation of the rollers about their respective axes. is sized to As can be appreciated, independently operable pusher bar 110PR does not interfere with roller 110PR, lateral (eg, Y-direction) extension of transfer arm 110PA, and raising/lowering of pick head 270. FIG.

As described above, the pusher bar 110PR is a standalone axis of the container bot 110 that operates without interference from the extension and lift axes of the pick head 270, thus extending and/or extending the transfer arm 110PA. Alternatively, it can be operated substantially simultaneously with the lift. Combined axis movement (e.g., simultaneous movement of pusher bar 110PR with the extension and/or lift axis of transfer arm 110PA) provides increased payload processing throughput along the Y throughput axis to the breakpack handling station. Two or more case units and/or breakpack merchandise containers from a common picking aisle are ordered (e.g., at least partially predetermined delivery A multipick 140 is provided that follows the breakpack sequence, which may be sequence based. For example, referring to FIGS. 6A-6B, during a multi-pick/place sequence of transfer arm 110PA, pusher bar 110PR is at contact depth X3 (eg, when picked/placed from a storage space or other holding position). , the depth of the tines occupied by the case unit(s), the breakpack commodity container(s), and/or the pick face CU) at a predetermined distance X2 from ( Once the case unit(s), breakpack merchandise container(s), and/or pick face are picked and transferred to the payload section 110PL) are prepositioned (FIG. 7, Block 1100). . Distance X2 is the minimum distance that allows only sufficient clearance between pusher bar 110PR and case unit(s)/breakpack merchandise container(s), (one or Multiple) case units/breakpack merchandise container(s) can be seated on rollers 110RL. When case unit(s) CU and/or Breakpack merchandise container(s) 264 are lowered onto rollers 110RL (FIG. 7, block 1110), case unit(s) The distance pushed by pusher bar 110PR to contact the CU and/or breakpack merchandise container(s) 264 is the distance X4 by conventional transport vehicles (transversely of payload section 110PL). and a shorter distance X2 compared to moving from the back surface 402 (opposite side 401 and access side 401). Case unit(s) CU and/or breakpack merchandise container(s) 264 are lowered by transfer arm 110PA and transferred to rollers 110RL so that they are solely supported by rollers 110RL. , the pusher bar 110PR is actuated (relative to the lateral and access side 401 of the payload section 110PL) to move the case unit(s) CU and/or breakpack commodity container(s). 264 forward (FIG. 7, block 1120). For example, pusher bar 110PR may be configured such that case unit(s) are (case unit reference datum is case unit(s) CU/breakpack commodity container(s) 264 and fence 110PF case unit(s) CU and/or (one or more ) The breakpack merchandise container 264 may be pushed laterally in the Y direction. In one aspect, the pusher bar 110PR aligns the case unit(s) CU and/or breakpack commodity container(s) 264 with each other and with the containerbot's 110 reference frame REF (FIG. 4A). To maintain a predetermined spatial relationship (eg, to hold case unit(s) and/or breakpack merchandise container(s) 264 against fence 110PF). May engage or otherwise grip case unit CU(s) and/or breakpack merchandise container(s) 264 during unit/breakpack merchandise container transport (FIG. 7, block 1130). When locating the case unit(s) and/or breakpack merchandise container(s) 264, the pusher bar 110PR pushes the case unit(s) CU and/or (1 After aligning the breakpack commodity container(s) 264 with respect to the fence 110PF, from contact with the case unit(s) CU and/or the breakpack commodity container(s) 264 They are pulled apart (eg, in the Y direction) (FIG. 7, block 1140). Substantially immediately after pusher bar 110PR disengages case unit(s) CU and/or breakpack container(s) 264, transfer arm 110PA (e.g., Z-direction ) and extension axes (eg, in the Y direction) are actuated substantially simultaneously with the disengagement movement of pusher bar 110PR (FIG. 7, block 1150). In one aspect, when the pusher bar is pulled out of contact with the case unit(s) CU and/or the breakpack merchandise container(s) 264, both the lift and extension axes are actuated. However, in other aspects, one of the lift shaft and the extension shaft is actuated. As can be appreciated, in addition to the simultaneous movement of the lift and/or extension axis of transfer arm 110PA by pulling apart pusher bar 110PR, pushers may also move case unit(s) CU and/or (one or By reducing the distance traveled to align the breakpack commodity container(s) 264, the case unit CU(s) and/or the breakpack commodity container(s) 264 can be moved to the container bot 110. It reduces the time required to transport to and from, increasing the throughput of the storage and retrieval system 100 .

As an example of case operations on a container bot 110, see also FIGS. ) container(s) CUA are placed in holding positions (e.g., storage space 130S in a common picking aisle for providing multi-pick ordered and, in other aspects, lift interface station TS, and/or picking It may be picked from a case unit buffer station (BS) located in the aisle or on the transfer deck and transferred to the payload section 110PL. When the container CUA(s) are transferred to the payload section 110PL, the pusher bar 110PR is lowered (one or more) when the container CUA(s) is lowered for transfer to the rollers 110RL. container CUA and the fence 110PF may be pre-positioned adjacent to the fence 110PF. Pusher bar 110PR (rollers 110RL It is actuated to push the container CUA(s) (resting on top) in the Y direction toward the back (eg, rear) 402 of the payload section 110PL.

In one aspect, the container bot 110 has a common picking path (e.g., the container bot 110 moves in one direction such that all of the case units in the multi-pick ordered are picked in a common path of the picking aisle). Continue traversing the aisle in the same direction XC and a predetermined breakpack sequence (this breakpack sequence may be determined at least in part by the order-out sequence of items from the automated storage and retrieval system 100 for order fulfillment). stops at another one predetermined storage space 130S depending on. As described above, the pusher bar 110PR is configured so that the container CUA remains in place (and/or in place longitudinally) on the rear surface 402 of the payload section 110PL relative to the reference frame REF of the container bot 110. In addition, it remains in contact with (eg, grips) the container(s) CUA during transport of the case unit(s) between the case unit holding positions. For example, pusher bar 110PR is moved in the Y direction to disengage and transfer container(s) CUA to pick a subsequent container from another one of the storage spaces in the common picking aisle. The lift and extension axes of arm 110PA are actuated to move another container CUB (one or more) from other storage space 130S2 (or in other aspects, e.g., a lift/handoff interface as described above). station TS and/or buffer/handoff station BS). While the container CUB(s) is being picked, the pusher bar 110PR is positioned between the container(s) CUA and the alignment surfaces 273JS of the tines 273A-273E such that the payload It is positioned in the Y direction adjacent to the rear surface 402 of section 110PL. The container CUB(s) is transferred to the payload section and lowered/positioned onto rollers 110RL such that the containers CUA, CUB are positioned relative to each other along the Y-axis. The pusher bar 110PR is actuated in the Y direction to push the container CUA,CUB towards the fence 110PF to position the container CUA,CUB forward and to grip/grab/transfer the container CUA,CUB to the breakpack module 266. Hold. As can be appreciated, in one aspect the containers CUA, CUB are placed together in a holding position as a unit, but in other aspects the containers CUA, CUB are placed together in a holding position, e.g. and placement of a container CUA on a lift 150B or other holding position (such as another breakpack handling station 140 of another breakpack module 266). For example, transported and placed in separate positions of a common holding position or different case unit holding positions. For example, referring also to FIGS. 2A, 2C, and 5, the container bot 110 carrying the multi-pick payload places the containers CUA, CUB of the multi-pick payload in one or more containers (including buffer shelves) corresponding to the output lift 150B. Transfer to interface station TS.

As can be appreciated, in one aspect where container bot 110 turns to pier 130BD (FIG. 5), the spacing between bots traveling on high speed bot travel path HSTP of container transfer deck 130DC (FIG. 2A) is A bot interfacing with a TS slows down and turns to the interface station TS substantially without interference from and/or by another one of the container bots 110 traveling along the container transfer deck 130DC. It is like being able to In another aspect, container bots 110 moving on container transfer deck 130DC move containers across container transfer deck 130DC and along container transfer deck 130DC as described above when container transfer deck 130DC is substantially open. Configured for non-deterministic traversal of the bot 110, it may drive around the container bot 110 and turn to the interface station TS. If multi-pick containers CUA, CUB are placed, for example, in various locations on a common buffer shelf BS of interface/handoff stations 7000A, 7000B of lifts 150B1, 150B2, container bot 110 will pick up the first of the container CUBs. Place one container in a first position on buffer shelf 7000A and place a second one of containers CUA in a second position on buffer shelf 7000A. When multi-pick containers are placed in a common container holding position, container bot 110 places both containers CUA, CUB as a unit (eg, pick face) at a common position, eg, on buffer shelf 7000A.

Containers CUA, CUB are separated from a common holding position (such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 9,856,083, the disclosure of which was previously incorporated by reference in its entirety) or When sorted for placement in different holding positions, containers CUA, CUB are separated from each other in payload section 110PL. For example, referring to FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 6A-6F, the pick head 270 of the transfer arm 110PA moves in the Z direction enough to allow the pusher bar 110PR to pass under the container. container CUA, CUB may be lifted from roller 110RL (FIG. 8, block 1250A). Once the containers CUA, CUB are lifted, the pusher bar 110PR is positioned along the Y direction so that it is positioned between the containers CUA, CUB (see FIG. 6F) (FIG. 8, block 1250B). The pick head 270 is lowered so that the container CUA,CUB is transferred to the rollers 110RL and the pusher bar is inserted between the container CUA,CUB (FIG. 8, Block 1250C). Pusher bar 110PR is moved in the Y direction (eg, to separate the containers) to move container CUA toward rear surface 402 of payload section 110PL (eg, alignment surface 273JS of tines 273A-273E or any other suitable position), the container CUB remains in front of the payload section 110PL adjacent to the fence 110PF (eg, as shown in FIG. 6D) (FIG. 8, Block 1250D). As can be appreciated, when a container is held against the alignment surfaces 273JS of the tines during transport, the pusher bar is moved in the Y direction (eg, to separate the containers) to move the container CUB to the payload. While moving toward the front face 401 of section 110PL (eg, relative to fence 110PF or any other suitable position), container CUA remains behind payload section 110PL adjacent alignment surface 273JS. The pusher bar 110PR may be moved in the Y direction to realign the container CUB with respect to the fence 110PF so that it is positioned on the tines 273A-273E to place the container in the container holding position (FIG. 8). , block 1250E). As can be appreciated, when the container CUA is positioned substantially against the alignment surface 273JS of the tines 273A-273E (eg, pick head 270), the container moves the CUB substantially away from the container CUA. It can be placed in the container holding position without interference (FIG. 8, Block 1250F), eg, the container CUA does not contact other containers disposed in the container holding position. The container CUA is lowered/transferred back to the payload section 110PL (eg, by retracting and lowering the transfer arm 110PA) (FIG. 8, block 1250G). A pusher bar 110PR pre-positioned between the positioning surface 273JS and the container CUA pushes the container CUA disposed on the rollers 110RL against the fence 110PF to move the container CUA (for example, the holding position where the container CUB is placed). position forward (FIG. 8, block 1250H) for placement in another container holding position. The pusher bar 110PR remains pressed against the container CUA to grip the container (eg, at the fence) during transport to another container holding position (FIG. 8, block 12501). Pusher bar 110PR moves away from container CUA and transfer arm is actuated to lift and extend pick head 270 to place container CUA in another container holding position (FIG. 8, block 1250J).

Similarly, referring to FIGS. 1, 2A, and 2C, in one aspect when the container bot 110 turns from the transfer deck (see FIG. 2A) to the breakpack module 266, the high speed bot on the container transfer deck 130DC (FIG. 2A) The spacing between bots traveling on the movement path HSTP is due to interference from and/or from another container bot 110 substantially traveling along the container transfer deck 130DC that interfaces with the interface station TS. Such that it can decelerate and turn to the interface station TS without interference. In another aspect, container bots 110 traveling on container transfer deck 130DC are configured such that container transfer deck 130DC is substantially open and non-deterministic of container bots 110 across and along container transfer deck 130DC as described above. configured for traversing targets, it can drive around the container bot 110 and turn to the breakpack module 266 . If multi-pick containers CUA, CUB are placed, for example, at various locations on a common support surface 140S of the breakpack handling station 140, the container bot 110 may place the first container of the container CUBs on the support surface 140S. , and a second one of the containers CUA is placed at a second position on the support surface 140S. When multi-pick containers are placed in a common container holding position, the container bot 110 places both containers CUA, CUB as a unit (eg, pick face) at a common position, eg, on the support surface 140S.

Containers CUA, CUB are separated from a common holding position (such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 9,856,083, the disclosure of which was previously incorporated by reference in its entirety) or When sorted for placement in different holding positions, containers CUA, CUB are separated from each other in payload section 110PL. For example, referring to FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 6A-6F, the pick head 270 of the transfer arm 110PA moves in the Z direction enough to allow the pusher bar 110PR to pass under the container. container CUA, CUB may be lifted from roller 110RL (FIG. 8, block 1250A). Once the containers CUA, CUB are lifted, the pusher bar 110PR is positioned along the Y direction (see FIG. 6F) so as to be positioned between the containers CUA, CUB (FIG. 8, block 1250B). The pick head 270 is lowered so that the container CUA,CUB is transferred to the rollers 110RL and the pusher bar is inserted between the container CUA,CUB (FIG. 8, Block 1250C). Pusher bar 110PR is moved in the Y direction (eg, to separate the containers) to move container CUA toward rear surface 402 of payload section 110PL (eg, alignment surface 273JS of tines 273A-273E or any other suitable position), the container CUB remains in front of the payload section 110PL adjacent to the fence 110PF (eg, as shown in FIG. 6D) (FIG. 8, Block 1250D). As can be appreciated, when a container is held against the alignment surfaces 273JS of the tines during transport, the pusher bar is moved in the Y direction (eg, to separate the containers) to move the container CUB to the payload. While moving toward the front face 401 of section 110PL (eg, relative to fence 110PF or any other suitable position), container CUA remains behind payload section 110PL adjacent alignment surface 273JS. The pusher bar 110PR may be moved in the Y direction to realign the container CUB with respect to the fence 110PF so that it is positioned on the tines 273A-273E to place the container in the container holding position (FIG. 8). , block 1250E). As can be appreciated, when the container CUA is positioned substantially against the alignment surface 273JS of the tines 273A-273E (eg, pick head 270), the container moves the CUB substantially away from the container CUA. It can be placed in a container holding position on the support surface 140S of the breakpack handling station 140 without interference (FIG. 8, block 1250F), e.g., the container CUA does not contact other containers disposed on the support surface 140S. . The container CUA is lowered/transferred back to the payload section 110PL (eg, by retracting and lowering the transfer arm 110PA) (FIG. 8, Block 1250G). A pusher bar 110PR prepositioned between the alignment surface 273JS and the container CUA pushes the container CUA, which is disposed on rollers 110RL, against the fence 110PF to move the container CUA against the support surface 140S of the same breakpack handling station 140. or positioned forward for placement on another support surface 140S of another breakpack handling station 140 in another container holding position (e.g., different from the holding position in which the container CUB is placed). (FIG. 8, Block 1250H). The pusher bar 110PR remains pressed against the container CUA to grip the container (eg, at the fence) during transport to another container holding position (FIG. 8, block 12501). Pusher bar 110PR moves away from container CUA and transfer arm is actuated to lift and extend pick head 270 to place container CUA in another container holding position (FIG. 8, Block 1250J).

As can be seen in FIG. 2C, the breakpack merchandise interface 263 extends at least along substantially the entire edge of the breakpack merchandise autonomous transport loop(s) 234 (eg, of merchandise deck 130DG). two or more breakpack merchandise interface locations 263L arranged in a row, where each breakpack merchandise interface location 263L is configured to hold a respective breakpack merchandise container 264. When the container bot 110 transfers one or more (supply) containers to the breakpack handling station 140, the container bot 110 is designated to transfer from the respective breakpack merchandise interface location 263L (to the storage or delivery lift 150B). the breakpack merchandise container 264 in a timely manner (i.e., the container bot 110 did not intend to retrieve the breakpack merchandise container 264, but it happened to be moved by the breakpack merchandise container 264 and, for efficiency, the control (in the sense that server 120 may send commands to container bot 110 to timely retrieve breakpack merchandise container 264). In other aspects, the breakpack merchandise container 264 in storage may be positioned in the same picking aisle 130A as the supply container 265, where both the breakpack merchandise container 264 and the supply container 265 are located in the same breakpack module. H.266 (eg, by control server 120). Container bots 110 that are instructed to pick supply containers 265 in advance are instructed by control server 120 to (if a breakpack commodity container 264 is specified to transfer after an initial command is issued to container bot 110 etc.) to pick breakpack merchandise containers 264 in time while traveling along the same picking path. Here, the container bot 110 travels with both the breakpack commodity container 264 and the supply container 265, transfers the supply container 265 to the breakpack operation station 140 of the breakpack module 266, and then moves the breakpack commodity container 264 to the same location. It may be transferred to a predetermined breakpack product interface location 263 L of breakpack module 266 .

One or more bags, totes, or other containers (e.g., supply container 265) to create a mixed pallet load MPL (as shown in FIG. 1E) and/or in accordance with a predetermined order-out sequence. ) of container bot 110, including multi-pick and placement operations of case unit(s) with on-the-fly sorting of case units to fill a predetermined order sequence of items picked within (1 An example of a case unit transfer transaction is described with respect to FIGS. 9 and 11 according to aspects of the disclosed embodiment. For example, referring to FIG. 11, a customer order requires that the case unit(s) 5 be delivered from the load lift 150A to the load lift 150B or to the breakpack module 266 (eg, bypass storage). There may be times when breakpack merchandise container(s) 7 need to be delivered from storage or breakpack module 266 to output lift 150B. In another aspect, a customer order may include, but is not limited to, various unloading lifts 150, unloading lifts 150 and breakpack modules 266, unloading lifts 150 and storage containers of case units/breakpack merchandise containers carried by a common containerbot 110. It may need to be delivered to any suitable combination of various locations, including location 130S, storage location 130S and breakpack modules 266, and between various breakpack modules 266, thereby allowing common container bots. It is noted that the transfer of the case unit carried by 110 to various locations occurs in a manner substantially similar to that described herein.

In aspects of the disclosed embodiments described herein, the output lifts 150B (e.g., each of the output lifts 150B of the automated storage and retrieval system/order fulfillment system 100) are configured to transport mixed case pick faces from the storage array. Defining a fulfillment course or path (also called a stream) of mixed case pick faces issuing into and out of the fulfillment course in substantially the same order. As can be appreciated, the load lift 150A and the load lift 150B are described as vertically reciprocating lifts, but in other aspects the load lift 150A and the load lift 150B are case pick faces and/or break packs. Merchandise containers are transported between storage structure 130 (e.g., respective pick face interface stations such as transfer station TS or buffer station BS, and input station 160IN, e.g., an input cell, and output stations 160UT, 160EC, e.g., a load filling section). /to/from each one of the cells), and/or any suitable transport module for transporting between the various storage levels 130L. For example, in other aspects the lift modules 150A, 150B may be vertically reciprocating lifts, any suitable automated material handling systems, conveyors, bots, turntables, roller beds, multiplexers, operating synchronously or asynchronously. One or more of the level vertical conveyors (eg paternoster conveyors).

In one aspect, the container bot(s) 110 transport the breakpack merchandise container 264 from the breakpack merchandise interface 263 to the container export station TS for export of the breakpack merchandise container 264 and storage. For this purpose, another breakpack merchandise container 264 is configured to be transported from the breakpack merchandise interface 263 to the container storage location 130S, which is the breakpack merchandise container storage location 130SB. In one aspect, the Breakpack product container(s) and the other Breakpack product container(s) are carried simultaneously by the container bot 110, while in other aspects, the (one or more ) breakpack merchandise container and other container(s) are carried separately by container bot 110 . Container bot 110 is also configured to transport supply containers 265 between supply container storage location 130S and container export station TS. As an example above, the container bot 110 uses the common transfer arm 110PA of the container bot 110 to transfer the first breakpack commodity container 7 from the storage space 130S to the breakpack commodity interface 263 (see FIG. 2C) or Pick from any suitable holding position (FIG. 9, block 1400). The container bot 110 is moved in a manner generally similar to that described herein in preparation for placement of the first breakpack container 7 in a holding position using the common transfer arm 110PA or picking of subsequent containers. , position the first breakpack container 7 on the bot (FIG. 9, block 1405). In one aspect, the container bot 110 uses a common transfer arm 110PA to pick the second breakpack merchandise container 8 from the same location or a different location from which the first breakpack merchandise container 7 is picked ( FIG. 9, block 1410). If the second breakpack merchandise container 8 is picked from a different location, the container bot 110 grabs the first breakpack merchandise container 7 and picks up the second breakpack container, which may be another storage location 130S. 8 position, another position in the breakpack merchandise interface 263, or any other suitable position. Here both the first breakpack merchandise container 7 and the second breakpack merchandise container 8 are held on a common transfer arm 110PA.

Alternatively, after picking the first breakpack merchandise container 7, the container bot 110 can use the common transfer arm 110PA to move the container bot 110 to the same or different location from which the first breakpack merchandise container 7 is picked. Pick the outbound case unit(s) 5 from the location (FIG. 9, block 1410). If the outbound case unit(s) are picked from different locations, the container bot 110 will grab the first breakpack merchandise container 7 and may be another storage location 130S (one or more). multiple) outbound case unit location, loading lift 150A, or any other suitable location.

In yet another aspect, the first breakpack merchandise container 7 and/or the second breakpack merchandise container 8 may be held on a common transfer arm 110PA with the receiving case unit(s) 9. good. For example, the container bot 110 may use the common transfer arm 110PA before the first breakpack commodity container 7 and/or the second breakpack commodity container 8 are picked by the common transfer arm 110PA (FIG. 9, block 1415). Incoming case unit(s) may be picked by arm 110PA (FIG. 9, Block 1400A). In another aspect, the container bot 110 operates on a common transfer arm 110PA ( Incoming case units (one or more) may be picked (FIG. 9, Block 1400A).

Any suitable combination of breakpack merchandise containers and/or case units may be held on a common transfer arm 110PA so that the container bot 110 can load the breakpack merchandise container(s) and/or (one or more) breakpack merchandise containers and/or (one The case unit(s) are grasped (FIG. 9, block 1420) and the breakpack merchandise container(s) and/or case unit(s) are placed in a predetermined location/holding position (e.g. , buffer station BS, transfer station TS, delivery lift 150B, breakpack handling station 140, breakpack merchandise interface 263, etc.) (FIG. 9, block 1421). For one or more placements of breakpack commodity container(s) and/or case unit(s) in a predetermined holding position, container bot 110 may include (one or more ) breakpack commodity container(s) and/or case unit(s), the breakpack commodity container(s) and/or case unit(s) being common break(s) in the manner described herein so that they can be placed in a predetermined holding position using a common transfer arm 110PA without interference from remaining transfer arms 110PA of The packed goods container and/or case unit(s) are separated or aligned (FIG. 9, block 1425). The container bot 110 extends a common transfer arm 110PA to transfer one or more of the breakpack merchandise container(s) and/or case unit(s) to a predetermined holding position. (FIG. 9, block 1430). For example, a first breakpack merchandise container 7 and a case unit 5 are held on (or otherwise supported by) a common transfer arm 110PA, where the case unit (supply container) 5 is a break Positioned on support surface 140S of breakpack handling station 140 in pack module 266 (see FIGS. 2C and 11), first breakpack product container 7 is positioned at breakpack product interface location 263L of breakpack product interface 263. will be The container bot 110 moves along the container transfer deck 130DC so that it is positioned relative to the holding position of the support surface 140S. First breakpack merchandise container 7 and case unit 5 are positioned with first breakpack merchandise container 7 facing back 402 (FIG. 6A) of the payload area of container bot 110 and case unit 5 adjacent fence 110PF. (Figs. 4A and 4B). The container bot 110 extends the common transfer arm 110PA to place the case unit 5 on the support surface 140S, and retracts the common transfer arm 110PA after placement of the case unit 5 to be untransferred (one or Return the breakpack commodity container(s) and/or case unit(s) (in this example, the first breakpack commodity container 7) to the payload section of the container bot 110 (FIG. 9, block 1435). A first breakpack merchandise container 7 is grabbed (FIG. 9, block 1420) and transported to a predetermined breakpack merchandise interface location 263L (FIG. 9, block 1421), where the first breakpack merchandise container 7 is are transferred to a predetermined breakpack commodity interface location 263L using common transfer arm 110PA (FIG. 9, Block 1430).

In the example described herein, the transfer of case units between container bot 110 and lift 150 occurs passively via interface station TS as described above. Also in the examples described herein, referring to FIGS. 2C, 10 and 13, the breakpack commodity container 264, the supply container 265 and the breakpack commodity container 264, the supply container 265 and the breakpack commodity interface 263 between the breakpack operating station 140 and the breakpack commodity interface 263. Transfer of what is referred to as pack remainder container 264S is done passively in a manner similar to that described herein. As an example of a transfer occurring at the breakpack module(s) 266, the container bot 110 (carrying the supply container(s) 265) may be configured as described above with respect to the slats 1210S and/or the positioning features 130F. In a manner analogous to the method, it is positioned against the support surface 140S of the breakpack handling station 140 (FIG. 10, block 1800). Transfer arm 110PA (eg, an end effector) of container bot 110 extends to transfer supply container 265 to support surface 140S, where fingers or tines 273A-273E of transfer arm 110PA are described herein. interface with, for example, slats 1210S (or rollers 140RL) of support surface 140S (FIG. 10, block 1801).

Alternatively, as described above, a breakpack residual container 264S may be created at the breakpack operations station 140 when the breakpack merchandise BPG is removed from the supply container 265 . When a breakpack residual container 264S is created, the containerbot 110 may position itself relative to the operator staging area 140A of the breakpack operations station (FIG. 10, block 1800) in a manner similar to that described above (here , operator staging area 140A may include a container support substantially similar to support surface 140S). Transfer arm 110PA (eg, an end effector) of container bot 110 extends to transfer breakpack residual container 264S to the payload area of container bot 110, where fingers or tines 273A-273E of transfer arm 110PA: Interface with, for example, the slats 1210S (or rollers 140RL) of the operator staging area 140A (FIG. 10, block 1802) in a manner generally similar to that described herein. With the breakpack residual container 264S held by the container bot 110, the container bot 110 may transfer the residual container(s) 264S to a storage location at the same level at which the container bot 110 is constrained ( FIG. 10, block 1803). In another aspect, the breakpack residual container(s) 264S are delivered by the container bot 110 for storage at another level 130L of the automated storage and retrieval system 100 or for order fulfillment. (FIG. 10, block 1804) for transfer to the unloading station 160US (FIG. 1).

In another aspect, the container bot 110 retrieves (one or more) additional breakpack product BPGs from storage so that they can be placed into the breakpack product container 264 by the product bot 262 for order fulfillment. of) breakpack merchandise container 264 is positioned in predetermined one of breakpack merchandise interface locations 163L of breakpack merchandise interface 263 in a manner similar to that described above with respect to slats 1210S and/or positioning features 130F. (FIG. 10, block 1810). The breakpack merchandise container 264 is now transferred to the predetermined breakpack merchandise interface location 263L via extension of the transfer arm 110PA (eg, end effector) of the container bot 110 to move the breakpack merchandise container 264 to the predetermined break. Positioned at packed commodity interface location 263L, where fingers or tines 273A-273E of transfer arm 110PA are positioned, for example, on slats 1210S of operator staging area 140A (or roller 140RL) (FIG. 10, block 1802).

In another aspect, container bot 110 uses slats 1210S and/or slats 1210S and/or for picking breakpack commodity container(s) 264 to be filled with breakpack commodity BPG from breakpack manipulation station 140 by commodity bot 262. or in a manner similar to that described above with respect to positioning feature 130F, itself may be positioned relative to a predetermined position among breakpack product interface locations 163L of breakpack product interface 263 (FIG. 10, block 1810) (i.e. , the product bot 262 retrieves breakpack product BPGs from the breakpack product manipulation station 140 and places the breakpack product BPGs into one or more predetermined breakpacks at the breakpack product interface 263 in response to predetermined order fill instructions. transfer to merchandise container 264). A transfer arm 110PA (e.g., an end effector) of container bot 110 extends to transfer breakpack commodity container(s) 264 to the payload area of container bot 110, where the fingers of transfer arm 110PA are extended. Alternatively, tines 273A-273E interface with, for example, slat 1210S in a manner generally similar to that described herein (FIG. 10, block 1812). With breakpack commodity container(s) 264 held by container bot 110, container bot 110 stores container(s) 264 at the same level at which container bot 110 is constrained. location (FIG. 10, block 1813). In another aspect, the breakpack merchandise container(s) 264 are delivered by the container bot 110 for storage at another level 130L of the automated storage and retrieval system 100 or for order fulfillment. (FIG. 10, block 1814) for transfer to the unloading station 160US (FIG. 1).

As can be appreciated, one or more of the pick/place transfers described above with respect to FIG. It may be timely in the sense that the same container bot 110 will have the opportunity to pick a breakpack product container (including a breakpack residual container) that has not had a breakpack product container (e.g., after a command to place a container has been issued, the breakpack product A desire to pick a container arises, whereupon a picking command is subsequently issued to the nearest container bot capable of picking, for example, breakpack merchandise containers). For example, after transferring supply container 265 to breakpack handling station 140, container bot 110 may transfer breakpack leftover container 264S and breakpack merchandise container 264S for transfer to storage at the same level or to a lift as described above. One or more of H.264 may be picked in time.

To passively transfer breakpack merchandise container 264 and breakpack residual container 264S to lift(s) 150, lift 150 is positioned adjacent interface station TS with load handling device LHD. to which the breakpack merchandise container 264 and/or the breakpack remainder container 264S are transferred by the container bot 110. A load handling device LHD is extended to lift the breakpack merchandise container 264 and/or the breakpack remainder container 264S from the interface station TS and transfer the breakpack merchandise container 264 and/or the breakpack remainder container 264S to the lift 150. , where the fingers 4273 of the load handling device LHD interface with the slats 1210S of the interface station TS in the manner described above. As can be appreciated, interface station TS has no moving parts, and transfer of breakpack merchandise container 264 and/or breakpack remainder container 264S between container bot 110 and lift 150 via interface station TS is passive. It is a typical transfer. As can also be appreciated, the transfer of the pick face from the lift 150 to the container bot 110 can occur in substantially the opposite manner as the transfer described above with respect to FIG.

In one aspect, the automated storage and retrieval system 100 described herein is provided by providing a storage array RMA with rack storage spaces 130S that are arranged on racks along an aisle 130A (Fig. 12, block 2500). At least one container transfer deck 130DC communicatively connected to each of the aisles 130A is also provided (FIG. 12, block 2505). At least one autonomous transfer vehicle or container bot 110 is provided, which carries at least one pick face and is configured to traverse at least one container transfer deck 130DC and aisle 130A and carries at least one pick face. has an extendable effector or transfer arm 110PA for picking and placing a . At least one merchandise transfer deck 130DG is also provided (FIG. 12, block 2511). At least one breakpack handling station 140 is provided to communicatively couple at least one commodity transfer deck 130DG to the container transfer deck 130DC (FIG. 12, block 2512). At least one merchandise bot 262 is provided (FIG. 12, block 2513), which holds at least one breakpack merchandise BPG and is configured to traverse at least one merchandise transfer deck 130DG. Aisle 130A, at least one container transfer deck 130DC, at least one autonomous transfer vehicle 110 traversing thereover, and extendable effector 110PA are used to define pick face transfer axes X, Y of the storage array (Fig. 25, block 2515), whereby an inbound pick-face to the storage array is generated, the inbound section 160IN of the automated storage and retrieval system and the outbound pick-face from the storage array are processed according to a predetermined load fill order sequence. The pick face conveys between the load filling sections 160UT, 160EC of the automated storage and retrieval system arranged to fill the loads by means of a separate fulfillment order sequence or to fill individual fulfillment orders according to an individual fulfillment order sequence. Conveyed along axes X, Y. The pick face transfer axes X, Y of the breakpack product transfer axis are also defined by at least one product transfer deck 130DG and at least one product bot 262 traversing on the product transfer deck 130DG (FIG. 12, block 2516). The combination of storage racks and autonomous transport vehicles 110 provides for on-the-fly sorting of mixed case pickfaces in line with transport on at least one of the pickface transport axes X, Y (FIG. 12, block 2520), whereby two or more of the at least one pickfaces are picked from one or more of the rack storage spaces 130S and are picked from one or more of the rack storage spaces 130S in response to a predetermined load filling order sequence. Located at one or more different pickface holding positions (eg, transfer station TS or buffer station BS, etc.).

In one aspect, the controller 120 (operably connected to at least one autonomous vehicle as described above) manages the pick face transfer axes X, Y, Z, where the pick face transfer axes are multiple including the transport axis. As noted above, the plurality of pick face transport axes X, Y, Z are oriented in at least two directions that are angled with respect to each other. Also as noted above, one of the plurality of pick face transport axes Y is defined by the extension of the extendable effector 110PA and the plurality of pick face transport axes Y defined by the autonomous vehicle 110 traversing along the picking path 130A. It is in a different direction angled with respect to the other of the pick face transport axes X. In one aspect, as described above, the rack and at least one autonomous transport vehicle are combined to provide on-the-fly sorting consistent with transport on at least one of each of the plurality of pick-face transport axes. In one aspect, the lift 150 defines another pick face transport axis Z of the storage array. As described herein, mixed-case pickface on-the-fly sorting is such that two or more of the pickfaces are picked from one or more deck levels in response to a given load filling order sequence. , is brought by lift 150 in line with transport on the other pickface transport axis to be transported to the load loading section. The controller 120 (which may be operably connected to the at least one item transport vehicle 262), or any other suitable controller in communication with the controller 120, manages the breakpack item transport axes X, Y, where the pick The face transport axis includes multiple transport axes. The X,Y breakpack merchandise transport axis is the respective merchandise bot 262 frame of reference and/or the merchandise transfer deck 130DG frame of reference, such as where the X and Y axes define the direction of movement along the merchandise transfer deck 130DG. (see FIG. 2C).

As described herein and with reference to FIGS. 15 and 17A, the automated storage and retrieval system 100 includes a plurality of sorting (or transport) echelon 15000 formed by an asynchronous transport system and at least one lift 150B; 15100 and 15200 are provided. Each sorting echelon 15000, 15100, 15200 is communicatively connected to a common portion of the storage array (eg, storage space 130S of each storage level 130L) and export (eg, export station 160UT). As described herein, Classified Echelons 15000, 15100, 15200 provide an orthogonal classification of product units distributed in a common portion, corresponding to Classified Echelons 15000, 15100, 15200, thereby providing corresponding The sorted mixed out product units of sorted echelon 15000, 15100, 15200 are in a predetermined sequence. An orthogonal classification of product units by each Classification Echelon 15000, 15100, 15200 is such that each Classification Echelon 15000, 15100, 15200 can be classified into a Mixed Individualized Product Unit (e.g., Personalized Pack (PCK)), a Mixed Pack Group (e.g., Common Container pack PCK and/or units UNT), and two or more sorting echelons 1500, 15100 each coupled to the output of one or more output product units of mixed cases sorted in a predetermined sequence , 15200 are orthogonal to each other's classification echelons 15000, 15100, 15200, such that two or more classification echelons 15000, 15100, 15200 are orthogonal to each other's classification echelons 15000, 15100, 15200. As such, the orthogonal sorting of each sorting echelon 15000, 15100, 15200 that results in the release of product units in a predetermined sequence is independent of one or more of order sequence and order time.

Referring to FIGS. 15 and 16B-16E, case level sorting echelon 15000 includes at least transfer decks 130BC, 130DC, container bot 110, picking aisle 130A, storage location 130A, and export lift 150B. In some aspects, the case-level sorting echelon 15000 also includes a loading lift 150A. As described herein, at least portion 15010 of case-level classification Echelon 15000 is described in U.S. Pat. No. 10,947,060, previously incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In a manner substantially similar to the cormorant method, a vertical sequencer is formed that places the sorted case/container SCUs in a predetermined sequence, resulting in the construction of the sorted pallet PAL. As illustrated in FIG. 16B, a case-level sorting echelon 15000 receives cases CU from storage arrays formed at least in part by storage spaces 130S at respective storage structure levels 130L, and places the cases on a given pallet PAL. classified into

Pack-level sorting echelon 15100 includes at least container bot 110 , portion 130 DCP of container transfer deck 130 DC, and break pack operations station 140 . Now, as seen in Figures 16C and 16E, the case CU is transferred from the storage space 130S to the pick level sorting echelon 15100, broken down into pack levels, and sorted at the pack level. Pack SPCK to be sorted is transferred by containerbot 110 to portion 15010 of case-level sorting echelon 15000 for recursive sorting to pallet PAL and placed in Breakpack Merchandise Container 264 (this Breakpack Merchandise Container is generally shown in FIG. 16C). and/or 16E) to form a sorted mixed pack group with other sorted packs SPCK or sorted units SUNT. Breakpack merchandise containers 264 are transferred by containerbot 110 to portion 15010 of case-level sorting echelon 15000 for recursive sorting to pallet PAL. Placement of a pack PCK into a breakpack merchandise container 264 or, for example, on a support surface 140S of a staging area 140 (eg, for picking by a container bot 110) is performed by an operator 141 at a breakpack handling station. etc., in any suitable manner. Placement of pack PCKs into breakpack commodity containers 264 (such as interface locations 263L for grouping with other pack PCKs or units UNT) may also be performed by commodity bot 262, thereby providing pack-level Part of Classification Echelon 15100 may be formed.

Unit/individual level classification echelon 15200 includes at least merchandise deck 130DG, merchandise bot 262, and interface location 263L. 16D and 16E, the case CU is transferred from the storage space 130S to the unit/individual level classification echelon 15200, broken down into unit levels, and classified at the unit level by the merchandise bot 262. . Merchandise bot 262 places unit SUNT sorted with other unit SUNT sorted into breakpack merchandise container 264 (here also generally represented as "case" in FIGS. 16D and 16E) and pallets. For recursive classification to PAL (see FIG. 17A), mixed individualized product units (described herein form).

Referring to FIG. 15, multiple classified echelons 15000, 15100, 15200 are dynamically arranged such that temporary resources of one classified echelon may transition to form temporary resources of another classified echelon. is. For example, a container bot 110 that carries/conveys cases/containers between echelons may transition from a case-level classified echelon 15000 resource to a pack-level classified echelon resource and vice versa. Merchandise bots 262 may transition any given merchandise bot 262 from a pack-level classified echelon 15100 resource to a unit-level classified echelon 15200 resource, depending on the transport task assigned to the given merchandise bot 262. configured to carry/convey both packs and units as may be done and vice versa.

Still referring to FIGS. 15 and 17, and also to FIGS. 16A-16E, the automated storage and retrieval system 100 sorts the pallet PAL (for placement on a transport vehicle, etc.) (FIG. 16A), Classification of case CU for placement (FIG. 16B), classification of pack PCK (e.g., removed from case CU) for placement in container SCU to be sorted (FIGS. 16C and 16E), placement in container SCU to be sorted. 16D and 16E) to be sorted (e.g., removed from the pack) for the unit/unit UNT. Here, each of the classification echelons 15000, 15100, 15200 provides an orthogonal classification informed by recursive classification decisions. For example, as illustrated in FIGS. 16B-16E, product classification by case-level classification echelon breaks down merchandise components (eg, pallets, cases, packs, units) into the minimum required merchandise components to informed by the classification performed by one or more of the Pack Level Classification Echelon 15100 and the Unit/Individual Level Classification Echelon 15200 such that the classification is effected by separately classifying the required commodity components of the Reassemble the minimum required merchandise component(s) into larger groups (eg, reassemble into one or more of pallets, cases, packs). Each of these reassembled larger groups is sorted by reassembly iteration.

As described herein, controller 120 is configured to determine recursive classifications that signal orthogonal classifications for each classification echelon 15000, 15100, 15200. FIG. Here again, the controller 120 performs the decomposition of the larger merchandise unit(s) into smaller merchandise units, followed by the sorting into sorted larger merchandise units, as described herein. case-level classification echelon control module 120M1, pack-level classification echelon control module 120M1, which alone or in combination (e.g., depending on the level of classification required to effect order fulfillment) provides a recursive classified assembly of smaller unit units of merchandise. Includes module 120M2, and unit/individual level classification echelon control module 120M3. By way of example, each classification echelon 15000, 15100, 15200 may classify the items ordered at the respective level of classification required to effect order fulfillment (eg, case level, pack level, unit/individual level). is configured to Multiple sorting Echelon 15000, 15100, 15200 sorted merchandise units/pieces, one or more sorted merchandise packs, one or more sorted cases, and one sorted merchandise unit/piece from an automated storage and retrieval system. configured to unload at least one of the one or more sorted pallets. Each of the classification echelons 15000, 15100, 15200 operates independently (ie, decoupled) from each other classification echelon 15000, 15100, 15200 under the control of the controller 120 . Here, the controller 120 is configured to separate the throughput of case CUs through the automated storage and retrieval system 100 from the sorting of goods (eg, pallets, cases, packs, units/pieces). Controller 120 is configured to receive one or more product fulfillment orders and to determine demand for the cases dictated by the product fulfillment order(s). Controller 120, through the utilization of one or more of case-level sorting echelon control module 120M1, pack-level sorting echelon control module 120M2, and unit/individual level sorting echelon control module 120M3, (one or multiple) to determine/decompose the classification of goods and the level of classification required to fill the product fulfillment order. Efficiency of batching is enhanced by decomposing levels of classification and classification of goods for one or more fulfillment orders, batching/grouping transfers of goods common to two or more fulfillment orders This minimizes the work performed by automated storage and retrieval system 100 (substantially eliminates extra travel).

A controller 120 is communicatively coupled to the asynchronous transport system, as described herein, to use the classification echelons 15000, 15100, 15200 to generate orthogonal classifications for each classification echelon 15000, 15100, 15200. is configured to Here, the controller 120 takes into account the existing/available physical paths through the automated storage and retrieval system 100 along which the merchandise may travel, the items within the automated storage and retrieval system 100, the bots. , lifts, etc. (collectively called objects) are configured to decompose movements. Decomposition of movement of objects is performed by the controller 120 according to the time relative to the predetermined time at which the order is to be fulfilled. Here, the controller 120 (provided with, for example, a classified commodity combined from the physical path, the required commodity classification level(s), and the prior classification) is classified by the classification echelon 15000, 15100, 15200. goods (e.g., pallets, cases, packs, units/pieces) through the storage and retrieval system 100 so that they are transported in close proximity to each other in time and space through the storage and retrieval system 100. (eg, between and within classified echelons 15000, 15100, 15200) to optimize the release of merchandise (eg, from a common storage array formed by storage space 130).

The controller 120 also manages the transportation of goods along the physical path so that no single node (e.g., lift, breakpack station, bot, etc.) of the transportation equipment of the autonomous storage and retrieval system is overloaded. is configured to Here, the passage of goods through the automated storage and retrieval system 100 provides control over and during production (e.g., movement of goods through the storage and retrieval system 100) and along a lower cost path. Balanced along the available physical routes to minimize the cost of sending goods over.

The Classified Echelons 15000, 15100, 15200 described herein are modular, wherein the modularity of the Classified Echelons 15000, 15100, 15200 is based on storage and retrieval system resources (e.g., transfer decks, bots, bot interface stations on deck, such as breakpack modules 266, or other suitable locations for a given storage level 130L). By way of example, referring to FIGS. 2A, 2C, and 2D, breakpack module 266 is configured such that additional merchandise transfer decks 130DGE1-130DGE3 may be stacked onto merchandise transfer decks 130DG1-130DG3 to provide transfer deck 130B or picking decks 130DGE1-130DGE3. Communicatively coupled to aisle 130 A, where each of merchandise transfer decks 130 DG 1 - 130 DG 3 , 130 DGE 1 - 130 DGE 3 is accessible from breakpack operating station 140 . The addition of product transfer decks 130DGE1-130DGE3 increases the number of breakpack product interface positions 263L and product bots 262 (eg, at each elevated level 130DGL1-130DGL3, 130DGLE1-130DGLE3), thereby increasing the number of product transfer decks 130DG. expand the capacity of In a similar manner, additional container transfer decks 130DCE may be stacked above (or below) container transfer deck 130DC to provide container bot 110 access to additional merchandise transfer decks 130DGE1-130DGE3. Ramps similar to ramps 222, 222C, 222R are provided to effect transition of container dots 110 between stacked merchandise transfer decks 130DG, 130DGE, although in other aspects additional merchandise transfer decks 130DGE are provided, respectively. The decks of different (stacked) storage levels 130L may be communicatively coupled to be accessible by container bots 110 of different storage levels 130L. An additional resource provided by Classified Echelon's modularity is the physical and Increasing the number of paths provides a scalable increase in throughput.

1, 2A-2E, 15, 16A-16E, 17A, and 17B, exemplary operation of the orthogonal classification echelon 15000, 15100, 15200 is described. In operation, a pallet is received by automated storage and retrieval system 100 at input station 160IN (FIG. 17B, block 17000). Cases CU of pallets are depalletized by depalletizer 160PA (FIG. 17B, block 17005) and transferred by input lift module 150A and container bot 110 to a common storage array. The controller 120 is configured to instruct the resources of the automated storage and retrieval system 100 to fill orders, where, for example, an order consists of a case CU, a pack PCK, and a unit/unit UNT (collectively). products). Products are stored in a common storage array by controller 120 near each other in time and space so as to move along one or more physical paths through storage structure 130 of automated storage and retrieval system 100 . be released from Here, the orthogonal sorting echelons 15000, 15100, 15200 are utilized in parallel to sort the ordered product, where the sorting is distinguished from the transport of the product through the storage and retrieval system 100. FIG. As described herein, the controller 120 sorts the products ordered to release the products in batches from the common storage and effect batch sorting via the orthogonal sort echelon 15000, 15100, 15200. decompose. Once the product classification is decomposed, the controller decomposes the movement of the product along the various physical paths of the automated storage and retrieval system. Here the ordered cases, packs and units for any given order are released close to each other in time and space.

The ordered cases are transported by the container bot 110 to the case-level sorting echelon 15000 and sorted in a predetermined sequence in any suitable manner, such as placement of the ordered at buffer station BS or transfer station TS (Fig. 17B, block 17030), and/or vertically aligned by lift 150B. Case SCUs to be sorted are carried out by case-level sorting echelon 15000 (FIG. 17B, block 17035) and transported (as described herein) for placement on pallet 17050 (FIG. 17B, block 17050).

If a pack PCK is ordered, the case CU containing the pack PCK is transported by the container bot 110 to, for example, the breakpack commodity module 266 (forming at least part of the pack level classification echelon 15100), where: The packed PCK is removed (eg, uncased) from the case CU (FIG. 17B, block 17010) and sorted in the manner described herein (FIG. 17B, block 17025). The pack SPCK to be sorted is either unloaded into the breakpack merchandise container 264 (FIG. 17B, block 17040) or, in some aspects, is uncontained and transported to the pallet PAL or case level sorting echelon 15000 to be processed as described above. are arranged in a case CU ordered for placement on a pallet PAL such as

If unit UNT is ordered, the case CU containing unit UNT is transported by container bot 110, for example, to breakpack commodity module 266 (forming at least part of unit level classification echelon 15200), where: The unit UNT is removed from the case CU and any packs PCK and the units are placed in packs (e.g., cased and/or unpacked) (FIG. 17B, block 17015) and described herein. (FIG. 17B, block 17020). Units SUNT to be sorted are included in pack PCKs with other units for sorting by pack-level sorting Echelon 15100 as described above, in breakpack commodity containers 264 one or more of which are transported to pallets PAL. It is exported (FIG. 17B, block 17045) and transported to the case-level sorting echelon 15000, as described above, and arranged with the case CUs ordered for placement on the pallet PAL.

Outputs of a plurality of sorted echelons 15000, 15100, 15200 are pallet PALs each containing one or more of mixed individualized product units, mixed packing groups, and mixed cases sorted in a predetermined sequence.

Although the recursive classification of classification echelons 15000, 15100, 15200 has been described with respect to the transfer of products from storage and retrieval system 100, in other aspects the recursive classification is for products entering storage and retrieval system 100. It is noted that it can be implemented for For example, fulfillment orders may be known to controller 120 at any given time, but any given one of the fulfillment orders may not be scheduled to be fulfilled until a predetermined period of time. When products for a given fulfillment order are brought into the storage and retrieval system 100, the controller 120 uses the sorting echelon 15000, 15100, 15200 Product may be sorted in a timely manner, but packs to be sorted, units to be sorted, and/or cases to be sorted may not be shipped out of the system until the time the product to be sorted is required to fill a fulfillment order. can be placed in storage arrays).

According to one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, a warehouse system is provided for storing and retrieving goods in containers. warehouse system
at least one storage level,
a container autonomous transport transfer loop located in at least one storage level;
and,
Circumferentially arrayed container storage locations along a container autonomous transport movement loop, wherein at least one of the container storage locations is a supply container storage location and another one of the container storage locations is a breakpack commodity. a container storage location, wherein at least one storage level has a breakpack goods autonomous transfer loop disposed on at least one storage level that is separate and distinct from the container autonomous transfer loop; at least one storage level having a breakpack commodity interface connecting respective edges of the container autonomous transfer loop and the breakpack commodity autonomous transfer loop;
At least one autonomous container transport vehicle constrained to at least one storage level for breaking supply containers along a container autonomous transport movement loop between a supply container storage location and a breakpack operating station. configured to carry each breakpack commodity container between a pack commodity interface and a breakpack commodity container storage location;
A breakpack merchandise autonomous transfer movement loop is arranged to constrain at least one autonomous breakpack merchandise transportation vehicle to at least one storage level, the at least one autonomous breakpack merchandise transportation vehicle transporting the breakpack merchandise. at least one autonomous container transport vehicle arranged to transport one or more breakpack commodities between the breakpack operating station and the breakpack commodity interface along the autonomous transport movement loop;
a controller configured to effectuate operation of the at least one autonomous container transfer vehicle and the at least one autonomous breakpack commodity transfer vehicle to assemble an order of breakpack goods from a supply container into a breakpack commodity container. .

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiments, the at least one autonomous container transfer vehicle unconstrained along the container autonomous transfer transfer loop and unconstrained along the container autonomous transfer transfer loop. configured to move autonomously across.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiments, the at least one autonomous breakpack merchandise transport vehicle unrestrainedly follows the breakpack merchandise autonomous transportation travel loop and performs the breakpack merchandise autonomous transportation. It is configured to move autonomously across the locomotion loop unconstrained.

According to one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, the breakpack merchandise autonomous transport movement loop is for movement of at least one autonomous breakpack merchandise transport vehicle along the breakpack merchandise autonomous transportation movement loop. at least one autonomous breakpack goods delivery vehicle having a plurality of lanes of travel of which at least one of the plurality of lanes of travel passes over an obstacle on another one of the plurality of lanes of travel is an overtaking lane for the movement of

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, the container autonomous transfer movement loop defines a plurality of travel lanes for movement of at least one autonomous container transfer vehicle along the container autonomous transfer movement loop. at least one of the plurality of travel lanes has a travel direction opposite to a travel lane direction of another travel lane of the plurality of travel lanes, and a plurality of travel lanes At least one of the lanes defines a queue lane for at least one autonomous container transport vehicle at the breakpack merchandise interface.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, a container autonomous transport movement loop is disposed on a deck surface of the deck at at least one storage level, and the breakpack commodity autonomous transport movement loop comprises: It is located on a different deck surface of the deck that is separate and distinct from the deck surface on which the autonomous transport movement loop is located.

According to one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, the at least one autonomous breakpack merchandise delivery vehicle has a payload holder configured dissimilarly to the at least one autonomous container delivery vehicle.

According to one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiments, one or more breakpack merchandise is unpacked from a supply container at a breakpack operating station, and the at least one autonomous breakpack merchandise delivery vehicle comprises: It is configured to be loaded with one or more breakpack items at the breakpack handling station.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, the at least one autonomous breakpack merchandise delivery vehicle is configured to transfer from the at least one autonomous breakpack merchandise delivery vehicle to the breakpack merchandise container at the breakpack merchandise interface. Configured to automatically retrieve one or more breakpack products.

According to one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, the at least one autonomous container transport vehicle autonomously transfers supply containers from the at least one autonomous container transport vehicle to the breakpack operating station. Configured.

According to one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, the at least one autonomous container transport vehicle is configured to autonomously pick and place breakpack commodity containers at the breakpack commodity interface.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, the breakpack merchandise interface comprises two or more breakpacks arranged along substantially an entire edge of at least the breakpack merchandise autonomous transport movement loop. Having merchandise interface locations, each breakpack merchandise interface location is configured to hold a respective breakpack merchandise container.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, the container storage locations are arranged along picking aisles connected by container autonomous transport movement loops at each level of the at least one elevated storage level. , the container autonomous transport movement loop is configured to provide at least one autonomous container transport vehicle at each level with access to each of the picking aisles.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, the warehouse system further comprises lifts connected to the container autonomous transfer movement loops via transfer stations, each lift carrying supply containers and breakpack merchandise. One or both of the containers are configured to be lifted to or from at least one elevated storage level.

According to one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, the warehouse system further comprises an incoming/outgoing conveyor, the incoming/outgoing conveyor comprising:
Conveying the incoming supply container from the depalletizer to at least the storage level,
Configured to convey outgoing supply containers and filled breakpack commodity containers to palletizers, trucks, or downstream processes.

According to one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, the at least one storage level includes an elevated storage level.

According to one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, a warehouse system is provided for storing and retrieving goods in containers. warehouse system
at least one storage level,
having a container autonomous transport transfer loop disposed in at least one storage level;
container storage locations circumferentially arranged along a container autonomous transfer movement loop, wherein at least one of the container storage locations is a supply container storage location; and container autonomous transfer movement. having a container unloading station disposed along the loop;
at least one storage level
having a breakpack commodity autonomous transfer transfer loop disposed at at least one storage level separate and distinct from the container autonomous transfer transfer loop;
a breakpack commodity interface coupling each edge of the container autonomous transfer movement loop and the breakpack commodity autonomous transfer movement loop with a breakpack commodity container holding position;
at least one storage level;
at least one autonomous container transport vehicle constrained to at least one storage level, the at least one autonomous container transport vehicle along a container autonomous transport movement loop:
configured to convey the breakpack merchandise containers between a supply container storage location and a breakpack handling station, and between a breakpack merchandise container holding location and a container unloading station, respectively;
A breakpack merchandise autonomous transfer movement loop is arranged to constrain at least one autonomous breakpack merchandise transportation vehicle to at least one storage level, the at least one autonomous breakpack merchandise transportation vehicle transporting the breakpack merchandise. arranged to transport one or more breakpack commodities along the autonomous transport movement loop between the breakpack handling station and the breakpack commodity interface;
at least one autonomous container transport vehicle;
At least one autonomous container transport vehicle and at least one autonomous breakpack merchandise transport for assembling an order of breakpack merchandise from a supply container into a breakpack merchandise container and unloading the breakpack merchandise container through a container unloading station. a controller configured to effect motion of the vehicle.

According to one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, the at least one autonomous container transport vehicle transports the breakpack merchandise container from the breakpack merchandise interface to the container unloading station for unloading of the breakpack merchandise container. For transportation and storage, the breakpack merchandise container is configured to transport another breakpack merchandise container from the breakpack merchandise interface to a container storage location that is the breakpack merchandise container storage location.

According to one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, the at least one autonomous container transport vehicle is configured to transport supply containers between supply container storage locations and container export stations.

The at least one autonomous container transfer vehicle is configured to autonomously move unconstrained along and across the container autonomous transfer movement loop unconstrained.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiments, the at least one autonomous breakpack merchandise transport vehicle unrestrainedly follows the breakpack merchandise autonomous transportation travel loop and performs the breakpack merchandise autonomous transportation. It is configured to move autonomously across the locomotion loop unconstrained.

According to one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, the breakpack merchandise autonomous transport movement loop is for movement of at least one autonomous breakpack merchandise transport vehicle along the breakpack merchandise autonomous transportation movement loop. at least one autonomous breakpack goods delivery vehicle having a plurality of lanes of travel of which at least one of the plurality of lanes of travel passes over an obstacle on another one of the plurality of lanes of travel is an overtaking lane for the movement of

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, the container autonomous transfer movement loop defines a plurality of travel lanes for movement of at least one autonomous container transfer vehicle along the container autonomous transfer movement loop. at least one of the plurality of travel lanes has a travel direction opposite to a travel lane direction of another travel lane of the plurality of travel lanes, and a plurality of travel lanes At least one of the lanes defines a queue lane for at least one autonomous container transport vehicle at the breakpack merchandise interface.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, a container autonomous transport movement loop is disposed on a deck surface of the deck at at least one storage level, and the breakpack commodity autonomous transport movement loop comprises: It is located on a different deck surface of the deck that is separate and distinct from the deck surface on which the autonomous transport movement loop is located.

According to one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, the at least one autonomous breakpack merchandise delivery vehicle has a payload holder configured dissimilarly to the at least one autonomous container delivery vehicle.

According to one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiments, one or more breakpack merchandise is unpacked from a supply container at a breakpack operating station, and the at least one autonomous breakpack merchandise delivery vehicle comprises: It is configured to be loaded with one or more breakpack items at the breakpack handling station.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, the at least one autonomous breakpack merchandise delivery vehicle is configured to transfer from the at least one autonomous breakpack merchandise delivery vehicle to the breakpack merchandise container at the breakpack merchandise interface. Configured to automatically retrieve one or more breakpack products.

According to one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, the at least one autonomous container transport vehicle autonomously transfers supply containers from the at least one autonomous container transport vehicle to the breakpack operating station. Configured.

According to one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, the at least one autonomous container transport vehicle is configured to autonomously pick and place breakpack commodity containers at the breakpack commodity interface.

According to one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, at least two breakpack commodity interface locations arranged along substantially the entire edge of the breakpack commodity autonomous transport movement loop. , each breakpack commodity interface location is configured to hold a respective breakpack commodity container.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, the container storage locations are arranged along a picking aisle connected by a container autonomous transfer movement loop at each level of the at least one storage level, the container autonomous The transport movement loop is configured to provide at least one autonomous container transport vehicle at each level with access to each of the picking aisles.

According to one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, the warehouse system further comprises a plurality of lifts connected to the container autonomous transfer movement loop via a plurality of transfer stations, each lift carrying a supply container. and breakpack merchandise container to and/or from at least one storage level.

According to one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, the warehouse system further comprises an incoming/outgoing conveyor, the incoming/outgoing conveyor comprising:
Conveying the incoming supply container from the depalletizer to at least the storage level,
Configured to convey outgoing supply containers and filled breakpack commodity containers to palletizers, trucks, or downstream processes.

According to one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, the at least one storage level includes an elevated storage level.

According to one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, a warehouse system is provided for storing and retrieving goods in containers. warehouse system
A multi-level storage array, each level of the multi-level storage array having a transport area and a storage area, the storage area comprising an array of storage bins configured to hold containers, the transport area comprising: a multi-level storage array that is substantially contiguous and arranged to communicatively connect the storage shelves to each other, the transport area including a picking aisle and a container transfer deck connecting the picking aisles;
At least one autonomously guided container transfer vehicle positioned at each level of the multi-level storage array and distinct from the container transfer deck, traversing the container transfer deck and picking aisles at each level and each level of the multi-level storage array; configured to transport containers in and out of the container storage positions on each level of the multi-level storage array and on each of the storage shelves between the breakpack handling stations at the levels and the container storage positions on the storage shelves; at least one autonomously guided container transport vehicle, wherein the at least one autonomously guided container transport vehicle is configured to transport supply goods containers and breakpack goods containers, respectively;
A breakpack commodity transfer deck at each level of the multi-level storage array, each level having a container transfer deck and a breakpack commodity transfer deck that are separate and distinct from each other and separately coupled to a breakpack operating station. as separate and distinct from the container transfer deck,
At least one autonomously guided breakpack goods transfer vehicle traverses the breakpack goods transfer deck for transport by at least one autonomously guided container transfer vehicle on the container transfer deck and is served from a breakpack operating station. a breakpack merchandise transfer deck, the breakpack merchandise transfer deck being configured to convey the breakpack merchandise to a breakpack merchandise container;
a controller configured to effect movement of at least one autonomously guided container transport vehicle between a container storage location, a breakpack handling station, and a breakpack merchandise container positioned along the breakpack merchandise transfer deck. .

According to one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, the controller determines that transport of the breakpack merchandise is achieved by traversing the breakpack merchandise transport vehicle by traversing at least one autonomously guided breakpack merchandise transport vehicle on the breakpack merchandise transfer deck. configured to effect operation of the at least one autonomously guided breakpack merchandise delivery vehicle to sort merchandise into corresponding breakpack merchandise containers.

According to one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, the controller determines that the at least one autonomously guided container transport vehicle accesses a corresponding breakpack merchandise container on the breakpack merchandise transfer deck and transfers the container to the container transfer deck. at least one autonomous guide to convey the breakpack commodity container to at least one of the container unloading station and corresponding container storage locations of storage shelves of corresponding levels of the multi-level storage array via a traverse along the configured to provide operation of a type container carrier vehicle.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, the breakpack merchandise transfer deck provides access to a breakpack operating station of the container transfer deck for at least one autonomously guided container transport vehicle. At separate locations it couples with the breakpack handling station and the container transfer deck.

According to one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, the at least one autonomously guided container transport vehicle autonomously unrestrained along and across the container transfer deck. configured to move.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, at least one autonomously guided breakpack merchandise transfer vehicle unrestrained along the breakpack merchandise transfer deck and unrestrained along the breakpack merchandise transfer deck. configured to move autonomously across the

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, the breakpack merchandise transfer deck defines a plurality of travel lanes for movement of at least one autonomous breakpack merchandise transport vehicle along the breakpack merchandise transfer deck. overtaking for movement of at least one autonomous breakpack goods delivery vehicle having at least one of the plurality of travel lanes overtaking an obstacle on another one of the plurality of travel lanes. is lane.

According to one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, the container transfer deck has a plurality of travel lanes for movement of at least one autonomous container transfer vehicle along a container autonomous transfer transfer loop; At least one of the plurality of travel lanes has a travel direction opposite to a travel lane direction of another one of the plurality of travel lanes, and defines a queue lane for at least one autonomous container transport vehicle at the breakpack merchandise interface, the breakpack merchandise interface coupling respective edges of the container transfer deck and the breakpack merchandise transfer deck. do.

According to one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, the at least one autonomous breakpack merchandise delivery vehicle breaks from the at least one autonomous breakpack merchandise delivery vehicle to the breakpack merchandise container at the breakpack merchandise interface. It is configured to automatically retrieve the packed goods.

According to one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, the at least one autonomous container transport vehicle is configured to autonomously pick and place breakpack commodity containers at the breakpack commodity interface.

According to one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, the breakpack merchandise interface comprises two or more breakpack merchandise interface locations arranged along at least substantially the entire edge of the breakpack merchandise transfer deck. , each breakpack commodity interface location configured to hold a respective breakpack commodity container.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, container transfer decks are disposed on deck surfaces of the decks at respective levels of the multi-level warehouse, and breakpack merchandise autonomous transport movement loops are configured to: It is located on a different deck surface of the deck that is separate and distinct from the deck surface on which the transfer deck is located.

According to one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, the at least one autonomous breakpack merchandise delivery vehicle has a payload holder configured dissimilarly to the at least one autonomous container delivery vehicle.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, breakpack merchandise is unpacked from a supply merchandise container at a breakpack operation station, and the at least one autonomous breakpack merchandise delivery vehicle is positioned at the breakpack operation station. configured to be loaded with Breakpack merchandise.

According to one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, the at least one autonomous container transport vehicle autonomously transfers supply containers from the at least one autonomous container transport vehicle to the breakpack operating station. Configured.

According to one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, the container storage locations are arranged along picking aisles connected by container transfer decks at each level of the multi-level storage array, the container transfer decks each configured to provide access to each of the picking aisles for at least one autonomous container transport vehicle at the level.

According to one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, the warehouse system further comprises a plurality of lifts connected to the container transfer deck via a plurality of transfer stations, each lift supporting a supply commodity container and a break. One or both of the packed goods containers are configured to be lifted to or from at least one storage level.

According to one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, the warehouse system further comprises an incoming/outgoing conveyor, the incoming/outgoing conveyor comprising:
Conveying the incoming supply container from the depalletizer to at least the storage level,
Configured to transport outgoing supply containers and filled breakpack commodity containers to palletizers or to trucks.

According to one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, a mixed product unit product order fulfillment system is provided. The system is a storage array having at least one elevated storage level, wherein mixed product units are loaded and distributed into the storage array into a common type of product unit per case in multiple cases. , a storage array and, at a common portion of the storage array, for level transport communicatively connected to the storage array for automatically retrieving and ejecting product units dispensed into cases from an output portion of the storage array. having at least one asynchronous transport system for level transport and a lift for between level transport, wherein the out-product unit mixes individualize in mixed pack groups and in mix cases one or more of the product units, an automated transport system, wherein the at least one asynchronous transport system and the lifts are configured to form two or more transport echelons, each echelon being a common part and communicatively connected to the output section, each corresponding to a transport echelon of product units dispensed into a common portion, to provide an orthogonal sorting of the mixed output product units of the corresponding transport echelon to be sorted , in a predetermined sequence, wherein the orthogonal sorting of product units by each transport echelon is orthogonal to each other's orthogonal sorting of two or more transport eschelons, thereby sorting in a predetermined sequence a mixed individualized product unit, a mixed pack group , and an orthogonal transport echelon relative to each other transport echelon of the two or more transport eschelons that are combined in the transport of one or more of the transport product units of the mixed case.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiments, the orthogonal sorting of each transport echelon results in the unloading of product units in a predetermined sequence, independent of one or more of order sequence and order time. ing.

According to one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, the orthogonal classification of each echelon is informed by a recursive classification determination.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiments, the product order fulfillment system further comprises a controller configured to determine a recursive classification that informs the orthogonal classification of each orthogonal classification echelon.

According to one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, communicatively coupled to an asynchronous transport system and configured to generate an orthogonal classification for each transport echelon by an orthogonal transport echelon.

It should be understood that the foregoing description is only illustrative of the aspects of the disclosed embodiments. Various alternatives and modifications may be contemplated by those skilled in the art without departing from aspects of the disclosed embodiments. Accordingly, the aspects of the disclosed embodiments are intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations that fall within the scope of any claims appended hereto. Moreover, the mere fact that different features are recited in mutually different dependent or independent claims does not mean that a combination of these features cannot be used to advantage and that such a combination is disclosed. It is not intended to be within the scope of any aspect of the embodiment.

Claims (30)

A product order fulfillment system for mixed product units, comprising:
The system includes:
a storage array, wherein the mixed product units are loaded and dispensed into the storage array to result in multiple cases of a common type of product unit per case;
in a common portion of said storage array for level transport communicatively connected to said storage array for automatically picking and unloading product units dispensed into said cases from an output portion of said storage array; An automated conveying system having at least one asynchronous conveying system for level conveying and a lift for inter-level conveying, wherein the output product unit mixes individualized products in mixed pack groups and in the mix case an automated transport system, one or more of the units;
The at least one asynchronous transport system and the lifts are configured to form two or more transport eschelons, each echelon communicatively connected to the common section and the output section, each resulting in an orthogonal sorting, corresponding to the transport echelon, of the product units distributed among the parts of the transport echelon so that the mixed output product units of the corresponding transport echelon sorted are in a predetermined sequence and the product units by each transport echelon of the mixed individualized product units, the mixed pack groups, and the mixed cases sorted in a predetermined sequence by orthogonally intersecting each other's orthogonal groupings of the two or more transport eschelons of being an orthogonal transport echelon with respect to each other of said two or more transport eschelons that are combined in the transport of one or more of said output product units;
Product order fulfillment system. said orthogonal sorting of each transport echelon results in unloading of product units in a predetermined sequence, independent of one or more of order sequence and order time;
The product order fulfillment system of claim 1. the orthogonal classification of each echelon is informed by a recursive classification determination;
The product order fulfillment system of claim 1. further comprising a controller configured to determine a recursive classification that signals the orthogonal classification of each orthogonal classification echelon;
The product order fulfillment system of claim 1. the controller is communicatively coupled to the asynchronous transport system and configured to generate the orthogonal classification for each transport echelon by the orthogonal transport echelon;
The product order fulfillment system of claim 1. the storage array has at least one elevated storage level;
The product order fulfillment system of claim 1. A warehouse system for storing and retrieving goods in containers, comprising:
The warehouse system is
at least one storage level,
a container autonomous transport transfer loop disposed in said at least one storage level;
and,
container storage locations circumferentially arranged along the container autonomous transport movement loop, wherein at least one of the container storage locations is a supply container storage location and another one of the container storage locations is a break having a container storage location, which is a packed goods container storage location,
said at least one storage level having a breakpack merchandise autonomous transport movement loop disposed at said at least one storage level that is separate and distinct from said container autonomous transport movement loop, said container autonomous transport movement at least one storage level having a breakpack commodity interface connecting respective edges of a loop and said breakpack commodity autonomous transport movement loop;
at least one autonomous container transport vehicle constrained to said at least one storage level for transporting supply containers along said container autonomous transport movement loop between said supply container storage locations and breakpack operating stations; configured to transport a breakpack merchandise container between the breakpack merchandise interface and the breakpack merchandise container storage location, respectively;
The breakpack merchandise autonomous transfer movement loop is arranged to constrain at least one autonomous breakpack merchandise transportation vehicle to the at least one storage level, the at least one autonomous breakpack merchandise transportation vehicle: at least one autonomy arranged to transport one or more breakpack commodities between the breakpack operating station and the breakpack commodity interface along the breakpack commodity autonomous transport movement loop; a type container transport vehicle;
a controller configured to effect operation of the at least one autonomous container transfer vehicle and the at least one autonomous breakpack commodity transfer vehicle to assemble an order of breakpack goods from a supply container to a breakpack commodity container; warehouse system. the at least one autonomous container transfer vehicle is configured to autonomously move unconstrained along and across the container autonomous transfer movement loop;
The warehouse system according to claim 7. The at least one autonomous breakpack merchandise transfer vehicle autonomously moves unconstrained along and across the breakpack merchandise autonomous transfer movement loop. configured to
The warehouse system according to claim 7. The breakpack commodity autonomous transfer movement loop has a plurality of travel lanes for movement of the at least one autonomous breakpack commodity transfer vehicle along the breakpack commodity autonomous transfer movement loop, and the plurality of movements at least one of the lanes is an overtaking lane for movement of the at least one autonomous breakpack goods delivery vehicle past an obstacle on another one of the plurality of lanes of travel;
The warehouse system according to claim 7. The container autonomous transfer movement loop has a plurality of travel lanes for movement of the at least one autonomous container transfer vehicle along the container autonomous transfer transfer loop, at least one of the plurality of travel lanes. one of the plurality of travel lanes has a direction of travel opposite to the direction of another one of the plurality of travel lanes, and at least one of the plurality of travel lanes is the defining queue lanes for the at least one autonomous container transport vehicle at the breakpack merchandise interface;
The warehouse system according to claim 7. The container autonomous transport movement loop is disposed on a deck surface of a deck at the at least one storage level, and the breakpack goods autonomous transport movement loop is disposed on the deck on which the container autonomous transport movement loop is disposed. disposed on different deck surfaces of said deck that are separate and distinct from the surface;
The warehouse system according to claim 7. wherein the at least one autonomous breakpack merchandise delivery vehicle has a payload holder configured dissimilarly to the at least one autonomous container delivery vehicle;
The warehouse system according to claim 7. The one or more breakpack commodities are unpacked from the supply container at the breakpack operating station, and the at least one autonomous breakpack commodity delivery vehicle transports the one or more breakpack commodities at the breakpack operating station. configured to be loaded with breakpack merchandise;
The warehouse system according to claim 7. The at least one autonomous breakpack merchandise delivery vehicle automatically transfers the one or more breakpack merchandise from the at least one autonomous breakpack merchandise delivery vehicle to the breakpack merchandise container at the breakpack merchandise interface. configured to retrieve
The warehouse system according to claim 7. the at least one autonomous container transport vehicle is configured to autonomously transfer the supply container from the at least one autonomous container transport vehicle to the breakpack operating station;
The warehouse system according to claim 7. wherein the at least one autonomous container transport vehicle is configured to autonomously pick and place the breakpack merchandise container at the breakpack merchandise interface;
The warehouse system according to claim 7. The breakpack merchandise interface has two or more breakpack merchandise interface locations arranged along at least substantially an entire edge of the breakpack merchandise autonomous transport movement loop, each breakpack merchandise interface location comprising: , configured to hold a respective Breakpack merchandise container,
The warehouse system according to claim 7. The container storage locations are arranged along a picking aisle connected by the container autonomous transport movement loop at each level of the at least one storage level, the container autonomous transport movement loop at each level connecting the at least configured to provide access to each of said picking aisles for one autonomous container transport vehicle;
The warehouse system according to claim 7. The warehouse system further comprises a plurality of lifts connected to the container autonomous transfer movement loop via a plurality of transfer stations, each lift transporting one or both of the supply containers and the breakpack merchandise containers. configured to lift to or from the at least one storage level;
The warehouse system according to claim 7. The warehouse system further comprises an incoming/outgoing conveyor, the incoming/outgoing conveyor comprising:
Conveying the incoming supply container from the depalletizer to at least the storage level,
configured to convey outbound supply containers and filled breakpack commodity containers to a palletizer, truck, or downstream process;
A warehouse system according to claim 20. wherein the at least one storage level comprises an elevated storage level;
The warehouse system according to claim 7. A warehouse system for storing and retrieving goods in containers, comprising:
The warehouse system is
at least one storage level,
a container autonomous transport transfer loop disposed at the at least one storage level;
container storage locations circumferentially arranged along the container autonomous transport movement loop, wherein at least one of the container storage locations is a supply container storage location; and the container autonomy. having a container unloading station disposed along the mold transfer travel loop;
The at least one storage level is
a breakpack commodity autonomous transfer transfer loop disposed at said at least one storage level separate and distinct from said container autonomous transfer transfer loop;
a breakpack commodity interface coupling respective edges of the container autonomous transfer movement loop and the breakpack commodity autonomous transfer movement loop with a breakpack commodity container holding position;
at least one storage level;
at least one autonomous container transport vehicle constrained to said at least one storage level, said at least one autonomous container transport vehicle being constrained along said container autonomous transport movement loop to:
configured to transport a supply container between said supply container storage location and a breakpack handling station and a breakpack merchandise container between said breakpack merchandise container holding location and said container unloading station, respectively;
The breakpack merchandise autonomous transfer movement loop is arranged to constrain at least one autonomous breakpack merchandise transportation vehicle to the at least one storage level, the at least one autonomous breakpack merchandise transportation vehicle: arranged to transport one or more breakpack commodities between the breakpack operating station and the breakpack commodity interface along the breakpack commodity autonomous transport movement loop;
at least one autonomous container transport vehicle;
said at least one autonomous container transport vehicle and said at least one autonomous break for assembling an order of breakpack merchandise from a supply container into a breakpack merchandise container and unloading the breakpack merchandise container through said container unloading station; and a controller configured to effect operation of the packed goods delivery vehicle. A warehouse system for storing and retrieving goods in containers, comprising:
The warehouse system is
A multi-level storage array, each level of said multi-level storage array having a transport area and a storage area, said storage area comprising an array of storage shelves configured to hold containers, said transport a multi-level storage array having areas that are substantially contiguous and arranged to communicatively connect the storage shelves to each other, the transport area including a picking aisle and a container transfer deck connecting the picking aisles;
at least one autonomously guided container transport vehicle positioned at each level of said multi-level storage array and distinct from said container transfer decks, traversing said container transfer decks and said picking aisles at each level; entering and exiting container storage positions on each of said storage shelves at each level of said multi-level storage array between breakpack handling stations at each level of the level storage array and container storage positions on said storage shelves; at least one autonomously guided container transport vehicle, wherein said at least one autonomously guided container transport vehicle is configured to transport a supply goods container and a breakpack goods container, respectively; ,
A breakpack merchandise transfer deck at each level of said multi-level storage array, each level being separate and distinct from each other and separately coupled to said breakpack operating station. separate and distinct from said container transfer deck to have a transfer deck;
On said container transfer deck, at least one autonomously guided breakpack goods transfer vehicle traverses said breakpack goods transfer deck for transfer by said at least one autonomously guided container transfer vehicle. a breakpack merchandise transfer deck, said breakpack merchandise transfer deck configured to convey breakpack merchandise from an operating station to a corresponding breakpack merchandise container;
configured to effect movement of the at least one autonomously guided container transport vehicle between the container storage location, the breakpack handling station, and breakpack merchandise containers positioned along the breakpack merchandise transfer deck. A warehouse system, comprising: a controller. providing a storage array, wherein mixed product units are loaded and distributed into said storage array to result in a plurality of cases of a common type of product unit per case;
in a common portion of said storage array for level transport communicatively connected to said storage array for automatically picking and unloading product units dispensed into said cases from an output portion of said storage array; Providing an automated conveying system, having at least one asynchronous conveying system for level conveying and a lift for inter-level conveying, wherein the output product unit mixes in the mix pack group and in the mix case. providing an automated transport system that is one or more of the individualized product units;
providing an orthogonal sorting of said product units distributed to said common portion by said at least one asynchronous transport system and two or more transport eschelons formed by said lifts, whereby said sorted correspondences resulting in an orthogonal sorting in which the mixed output product units of the transport echelon are in a predetermined sequence,
The orthogonal grouping of product units by each transport echelon is orthogonal to each other orthogonal grouping of the two or more transport eschelons such that each echelon is communicatively connected to the common portion and the transport for a predetermined of the two or more transport echelons combined in the output of the output product unit of one or more of the mixed individualized product units sorted in sequence, the mixed pack group, and the mixed case; and providing an orthogonal sorting that results in an orthogonal transport echelon for each other transport echelon. said orthogonal sorting of each transport echelon results in unloading of product units in a predetermined sequence, independent of one or more of order sequence and order time;
26. The method of claim 25. the orthogonal classification of each echelon is informed by a recursive classification determination;
26. The method of claim 25. determining, by a controller, a recursive classification that signals the orthogonal classification for each orthogonal classification echelon;
26. The method of claim 25. the controller is communicatively coupled to the asynchronous transport system and configured to generate the orthogonal classification for each transport echelon by the orthogonal transport echelon;
26. The method of claim 25. the storage array has at least one elevated storage level;
26. The method of claim 25.

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